DECEMBER 16TH - 17TH. - SOUTHENDON - SEA, ESSEX. At eight at night information was received from the king’s harbour master at Sheerness that two lighters had parted from their tug and were adrift, with two men on board. A moderate northeast breeze was blowing, with a rough sea.

The motor life-boat Greater London (Civil Service No. 2) was launched at 8.25 and went to the Grain Spit area where the lighters had last been reported. With her searchlight she looked for them, but could not find them and returned to her station at 10.15. Another message came from Sheerness next morning, asking that another search should be made. The lighters were still missing. At seven o’clock the life-boat again put out and found the lighters ashore near Yantlet Creek. They were being pounded by heavy seas. The life-boat went alongside and life-boatmen boarded one of the lighters. In the cabin they found the two men in a state of collapse. They took them on board the life-boat, where they were made as comfortable as possible, and she landed them at Southend at 8.30. At 6.45 that evening, the 17th, the life-boat was asked by the owners to tow the lighters off and into deep water so that a tug could tow them away. She was launched at 7.10 and found the lighters afloat, but the tug did not arrive and she returned to her station at nine o’clock. The owners made gifts to the lnstitution and to the life-boat crew. - Rewards : first service, £12 19s. 6d. ; second service, £6 11s. ; third service, £16 14s. 6d..