home by night.

The 22nd of November 1970 is a day that three British soldiers and an army officer’s wife will remember for a long time. On that day the four of them left in their speedboat to go to the Club in Castle Peak Bay. They reached the club without any difficulty. But on their return trip in the evening the motor of their boat broke down. They could not repair it, so they drifted along in the boat. It was already night when they spotted some islands in the distance. They immediately started to row in the direction of one which they knew was inhabited.
    They rowed three hours but made no progress because the strong current was against them. Meanwhile huge waves kept splashing over the sides of the boats so that once it nearly sank. At last they gave up and decided to turn the boat round and row with the current. Before long they landed on a small island. As one of them described it: "It was just a tiny island with long grass and bushes."
    They had no food or water, so two of them walked round the island to see if they could find some. "The only thing we saw was a rat," said a man later. Meanwhile the other two persons had made a fire with wood to attract the attention of any passing boat. Two boats sailed past but did not stop although the men shouted and waved a burning piece of wood at them.
    Back on land the families of the four friends had informed the police when they failed to return home by night. Launches were sent to search for them as they huddled before their fire, tired and cold.
    At dawn a motorized boat passed by and spotted them. A man and the officer’s wife went on board and were taken home. They reported to the police, who went at once to the island and brought the other two men safely back.