On Saturday 30th March 1985 Dover Lifeboat crew rescued more survivors from the crippled 'Princess Margaret' Hovercraft at Dover Harbour than in the voluntary services long history.

At 16:18 hours on Saturday March 30th 1985 maroons were fired over Dover Harbour, the Dover lifeboat crew raced to the lifeboat station, their normal lifeboat 'Rotary Service' was away on refit. They launched their standby craft at 16:21 hours and were soon in contact with the crippled Hovercraft 'Princess Margaret' which had stuck the harbour breakwater they were told that there were passengers in the water.

Altogether the lifeboat rescued 188 people from the crippled hovercraft, inside the harbour, and landed them at the Western Docks, many of the survivors were injured or suffering from shock.

After making four trip to rescue and land survivors the lifeboat authority was told that all passengers and crew were accounted for. At 20:30 hours after a check at the hoverport the lifeboat was called out again when it was found that two youngsters were still missing. Using search lights and forty parachute flares the lifeboat search outside Dover harbour up to St Margarets Bay. The Y boat inflatable was used to search closer to shore and among the rocks without success they returned to the station at 23:30. It was decided that if the two missing were still in the sea they must be considered dead.