SS Irex
SS Irex was a steel built sailing ship, wrecked at Scratchell's Bay on the Isle of Wight by The Needles on 25 January 1890. She was on her maiden voyage and her skipper, Captain Hutton, had mistaken the Needles lighthouse for mooring lights. During an epic rescue the Totland lifeboat controversially turned back due to the appalling conditions--resulting in the coxswain and his family being driven from their community. Eventually the rescue was effected using rocket lines fired from the cliffs. Captain Hutton and the mate were drowned.
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