FEBRUARY 4TH. - WALTON AND FRINTON.

ESSEX. At about 7.20 P.M. the coastguard reported that information had been received from the Kentish Knock Lightvessel that a vessel to the W.N.W. was sounding S.O.S. on her siren. A S.W. breeze was blowing, there was thick fog, and a very heavy swell on the sands. The motor lifeboat E.M.E.D. was launched at 9 P.M. She found the motor vessel Flores, of Amsterdam, bound from Rotterdam to Swansea with pig iron, ashore on the Kentish Knock Sands.

She had a crew of seven, but one of them had gone adrift in the ship’s boat. Her rudder and steering gear had both been carried away and she was making water. The lifeboat went to the light-vessel and asked her to signal for a tug in a hope of saving the vessel, but the Flores signalled her to come b a c k . The life-boat found that she was making water fast, and took off the six men.

It was a difficult rescue in the thick fog and heavy swell, and the life-boat was slightly damaged. She searched for the missing boat, but without success, and returned to her station at 11 A.M. on the 5th. February, having been out for fourteen hours. An increase of 10s. in the usual money awards on the standard scale was made to each member of the crew. Standard rewards to crew and helpers, £326s.; additional rewards to crew, £4 10s. ; total rewards, £36 16s.