Late on Saturday evening news came through that the Tynemouth Lifeboat was on its way. An army searchlight was also being sent by rail. Both were coming from South Shields and would not arrive until the early hours of Sunday morning.

James Brownlee , the Tynemouth Lifeboat’s Second Coxswain, described the eight and three quarter hour voyage, through rough sea, gale force winds and without the help of navigation lights, as “uneventful”. The Henry Vernon arrived in Whitby harbour shortly after 1 a.m.

Lieutenant Bazil Hall R.N. Inspector of Lifeboats, travelled up from London on Saturday evening and assumed command of the rescue operation. The ebb tide and violent current in the channel between the wreck and the cliffs made it too risky to attempt the rescue until daylight. Captain Burton went up on the clifftop and signalled to the wreck with a morse lamp that help was at hand.