The Thurso lifeboat, Sarah Austin, was launched for what proved to be her last time on service, on the evening of 2nd Feb 1929.  She put to sea at 11.45pm after a report had been received that a vessel had gone ashore on Brims Ness, six miles west of Thurso. The night was intensely dark and bitterly cold, with a very heavy ground swell.  The lifeboat-men found the casualty to be the Grimsby trawler, Edward VII, which had apparently struck a submerged rock, known as the whales back.  She had been swept clear of this, but had then grounded on a reef known as the Buff of Brims.  The lifeboat-men could hear the trawler grinding on the rocks, as she rolled in the heavy swell.  Their problems were made worse by the mass of rocks and hidden reefs all around the trawler, the inky blackness of the night greatly reducing visibility.

Coxswain McPhail dare not drop anchor, in case the cable fouled one of the hidden rocks and so, under sail, he took the lifeboat as close to the wreck as he could and then, using the oars, worked the lifeboat right in amongst the rocks.  The lifeboat and her crew would have been in very serious trouble if she had hit one of the rocks and there was a very real danger of her being smashed against the side of the trawler.  But, with outstanding seamanship and great courage , Coxswain McPhail took the lifeboat alongside the trawler and in the light of the flares the whole crew of 10 were rescued. skilfully, Coxswain McPhail brought the Sarah Austin out into deeper water again, without so much as a single scratch on the boat, the rescued men being landed at 6.45am.

For his great skill and courage during this service, Coxswain Angus McPhail was awarded the Thanks on Vellum by the RNLI, with Letters of Thanks being sent to Mr J. Miller, the Station Honorary Secretary at Thurso and to Capt G. Shearer, the Honorary Shore Signalman.

The Edward VII was steel built and 37m long by 6m wide. She was 231 gross registered tons.

Possible position 58 37 60N, 03 38 50W.