Whitley Bay, Lindsay Line, Doug Lindsay, Ganton, Ian Cowie

North East Shipwrecks - The battered 400-tom coaster Ganton lay stranded having run aground on rocks near St Mary's Island, Whitley Bay. Tynemouth lifeboat was called out to take the four crew memebers to safety. The four were later named as Ian Cowie, of Blyth, Howard Russell, of Berwick and Scotmen Stuart Barrie and Wayne Smith. But as rescuers prepared for the tricky salvage operatiion skipper John Tullough and engineer Bill Sannon sat it out at Curry's Point, Whitley Bay, where the Ganton went ashore. The ship's owners, the Edinburgh-based Lindsay Line, were conmfident that the ship could be freed from the rocks. Line boss Doug Lindsay travelled from Scotland to head the operation anmd a spokesman for the form said: We have high hopes of releasing her at high tide." 14th December, 1979."