THE TENACIOUS 24

Three hours after the disastrous first rescue attempt was launched, the tide turned and the sea was deep enough to launch a fishing lugger with 24 men aboard. Scores of men, estimated at the time to be about 120, managed to launch a lugger from the beach carrying 24 hands.

The 24 Worthing men:

Tom Bacon

Jim Benn

Tom Blann
& his brother Edwin

J Burtenshaw

George Carter

Alex Churcher

John Collier

Tom Coppard

Edward & Peter Edwards

William Field

Harry Head

Bob Hills

William Marshall

John Norris

Charles & Stephen Parsons

Jim Searle

George Steere

John Teasdale

John Tester

George Wingfield
& his brother Henry

On reaching the beleaguered trading barque Lalla Rookh they learnt the fate of their 11 fellow fishermen, lost when a huge wave swamped their tiny craft.

To repair the damaged ship and rig up fresh canvas 15 men were hoisted aboard from the lugger. Then helped the exhausted crew sail the cargo vessel to its home port at London.

They successfully saved the vessel and its crew.

The remaining nine fishermen sailed the lugger three miles back to shore to break the terrible news of the lost eleven, on that fateful day 175 years ago.

In total 35 men put to sea that day in rescuing the Lalla Rookh, but only 24 survived.