By 11pm the three lifeboatmen located one of the crew and took him to safety ashore. half an hour later they had spotted the other two crewman and the Hamble rescue boat. To reach the vessel the lifeboat men, in freezing temperatures, took turns dragging the small inflatable with its small 6 hp engine, through the marshes, sometimes up to chests in the cold water. Eventually reaching the Hamble boat the two crewmen were taken off which was then piloted back to the main lifeboat with great effort and difficulty. The lifeboat got back to station in the early hours of 30 January. For their part played in the rescue the three lifeboat men, Peter King, Christopher Smith and John Street were all awarded RNLI bronze medals.