MARCH 7TH. - CROMER, NORFOLK.

About 4.30 in the morning the coastguard telephoned that Humber Radio had picked up a message from the S.S. Corcrest, of London.

She was aground on the Haisborough Sands and asking for immediate help. The motor life-boat Henry Blogg was launched at 5.5 in the morning in a strong easterly breeze, with a heavy sea running. She had nineteen miles to go. At seven o’clock she received a wireless message that the steamer was breaking up, and when, at 7.45, she reached the Corcrest, she found the crew of twenty-two on deck, with their life-belts on and rope ladders rigged ready for use. The life-boat was secured alongside, and the steamer’s crew started to leave, coming part way down a ladder and then jumping into the life-boat.

It was a difficult and dangerous rescue, for the life-boat was thrown repeatedly against the steamer’s side and once she was lifted by the seas to the level of the steamer’s bulwarks.

One man of the steamer fell into the sea, but he was rescued at once. The rescue took half an hour. The life-boat was a new one, the first to be built with the wheel amidships.

She had been sent to Cromer for this to be tested. The coxswain reported after this service that he could control the situation much more easily from this position than he had ever been able to do from the old position at the stern in other life-boats. The life-boat made for Yarmouth, where she landed the rescued men and went to moorings at Gorleston about 10.45 that morning. At eleven o’clock information was received that the Corcrest had knocked over the sands and was afloat, and the life-boat put out again followed by a tug. She found the steamer within a mile of the Scroby Sands, went alongside her at 11.55, and put four men on board.

When the tug came up the life-boat passed a hawser from her to the steamer and the tug towed the steamer to Yarmouth Roads where she anchored her at 6.30 that evening. The life-boat was left at Gorleston for the night. On the following day her crew went back to Gorleston, helped in getting the Corcrest into Yarmouth harbour and then brought the life-boat home, arriving at six in the evening. - Rewards £26 13s. 6d., and property salvage case.