MARCH 2ND. - WALMER, KENT. At 4.35 in the morning the Deal coastguard reported a vessel in distress off South Goodwin Light-vessel. A northerly gale was blowing, with a rough sea. At five o’clock, the motor life-boat Charles Dibdin (Civil Service No. 2) was launched. She spoke the light-vessel at six o’clock, but she had no news to give. A snow blizzard had now reduced visibility to about two hundred yards. The life-boat met the Dover harbour tug. She too had failed to find the vessel, so the lifeboat returned to her station, arriving at 7.40.

At 8.15 the duty staff officer at Dover suggested a further search and the life-boat was launched again. Eventually she found the S.S. Ria de Cormes, of Cadiz, stranded on the Goodwin Sands near the South Goodwin Buoy. She had lost one anchor, and the remains of her life-boats were hanging in the falls, where they had been smashed in an attempt to abandon ship. The steamer had a considerable list and her crew were on deck ready to be taken off. The Dover harbour tug had also arrived. She put a tow rope aboard. By this time the Ria de Cormes was floating to her other anchor, but without steam, so the anchor was slipped and the tug towed her clear of the sands. The master of the tug now asked that three life-boatmen be put on board the Ria de Cormes to attend to the steering, which had jammed. This was done, but the life-boat damaged her forward end box. As the Ria de Cormes had been holed, was making water, and in danger of foundering, the life-boat stood by while she was towed into Dover harbour, and then returned to her station, arriving at 2.45 that afternoon. - Rewards : first service £20 5s. ; second service £14 11s..