Taken from “The Story of the Dover Lifeboats” by Jeff Morris available from the Fundraising Branch's shop.

In rough seas, a force 7 south-westerly wind and very heavy drizzle, with an 8 to 10 feet high swell, the cross-channel Hovercraft “Princess Margaret” struck the southern breakwater while entering Dover Harbour's Western Entrance, shortly before 1615hrs on March 30 th 1985. A hole, 50 feet long, was torn in her starboard side, reaching into the hull as far as the car-deck bulkhead. Within minutes, the relief ‘Arun' class Lifeboat “ A. J. R. and L. G. Uridge”, which was on temporary duty at Dover at the time, had slipped her moorings and was approaching the casualty. She reached the Hovercraft at 1626hrs and immediately, her inflatable dinghy was launched. All four engines on the Hovercraft had been stopped, so she had no air-cushion to ride on. There was a great deal of wreckage in the area and the people could be seen in the water. The crews of the tug “Dextrous” and the motor-launches “Darg” and “Denise”, began picking up survivors and so Coxswain Hawkins asked the two lifeboat-men in the inflatable dinghy, Michael Abbot and Robert Bruce, to take boat into the gap in the side of the Hovercraft, to look for survivors, which they did. Coxswain Hawkins then took the lifeboat alongside the hovercraft and she was secured with a single head-rope.

A fractured fuel line on the Hovercraft, was pouring out kerosene and the air was filled with very strong fumes, which greatly affected everyone working in the area, causing coughing and sickness for 12 hours or so. The whole area in the side of the Hovercraft was a mass of tangles metal, with razor-sharp edges everywhere. Five people were found in the water and Robert Bruce went into the water, to help them aboard the lifeboat. By 1632hrs, these 5 people had been rescued, one being unconcious and seriously injured, another being very elderly. The Hovercraft's Second Officer was taken aboard the lifeboat and with, the help of some of the lifeboat-men began resuscitation and heart massage on the unconcsious man, the other survivors being wrapped in blankets. Coxswain Hawkins took the lifeboat back to her berth as quickly as possible and the five rescued people were landed into the care of ambulancemen.

The end of the Southern Breakwater struck by the Hovercraft.

The lifeboat returned to the hovercraft at 1645hrs and took a line from her to the Prince of Wales Pier, to stop her drifting across the harbour. The Master of the Hovercraft then ordered a full evacuation of the craft and Coxswain Hawkins took the lifeboat alongside and 60 people were taken off and brought ashore. The tug “Dextrous” took off 185 people and the lifeboat then returned and embarked the remaining 115 passengers, all this taking place in a 6ft swell. These survivors were landed by the lifeboat at 1806hrs, after which she returned to the Hovercraft and took off the 8 cabin-staff. After they had landed, the lifeboat and the tug “Dextrous” helped to berth the Hovercraft, with two of her own engines running, at 1845hrs, the lifeboat then returning to her station. She put to sea again at 2045hrs, to search for 2 people who were reported still missing, but after three hours, no trace was of them was found and the lifeboat again returned to her station. A further search, involving the Dover and Walmer Lifeboats, as well as Ramsgate's ‘Atlantic 21' class ILB, was made the following morning. Some wreckage was found and a life-raft was recovered, the search being called off at 1500hrs. Following this service, a Framed Letter of Thanks, signed by the Chairman of the RNLI, His Grace the Duke of Atholl, was presented to Coxswain/Assistant Mechanic Anthony Hawkins and his crew and all the station's shore-party who were involved. Framed Letters of Thanks, signed by the Duke of Atholl, were presented to the crews of the tug “Dextrous” and the motor-launches “Darg” and “Denise”, for their considerable help during this service.