FEBRUARY 1ST - 3RD. - WALTON AND FRINTON, ESSEX. About 6.40 in the evening the coastguard reported an SOS from a vessel which was sinking about two miles north-west of the Sunk Lightvessel.

The motor life-boat E.M.E.D. was launched at 7.5. The south-westerly wind was moderate, but the sea was very rough. The sinking vessel was the S.S. Fort Massac, of London. She had been in collision with the British steamer Thornaby, while bound, laden, from Middlesbrough to South Africa. She had a crew of thirty-eight. While on her way to the steamer the life-boat received another message that the steamer had been abandoned, and she was told to search for survivors. This she did, and found two ship’s boats and a raft, but no one on board them. She then made for the steamer, arriving at 9.40, and spoke the Trinity House vessel Patricia. The Patricia and other vessels had taken off thirty-four of the steamer’s crew, but there were three missing and the captain was still on board the steamer. He refused to leave, so the life-boat stood by throughout the night.

At daybreak she took him off and returned to her station, arriving at nine o’clock in the morning of the 2nd. She had been out for fourteen hours.

On the morning of the 3rd of February she was launched again at nine o’clock and took out some of the ship’s officers to recover the ship’s papers. She found the steamer with her bow submerged and the captain’s cabin under water. The papers could not be recovered. She landed the officers at Harwich and arrived back at her station at four that afternoon. - Rewards : first service, £33 10s. 6d. ; second service, £9 15s..