September, 1848.
On the 20th September, 1848, while H.M.S. 'Dwarf' was fitting out in
the basin of Portsmouth Dockyard (the depth of water at the time
being 27 feet), the attention of Lieutenant Sherard Osborne was
suddenly drawn to the cry of "A boy overboard!" when, without the
slightest preparation, but with his full uniform on, including his
sword, he jumped in, and catching at a rope (which, however, proved
not to be made fast to the vessel), he saved a second-class boy of
the same ship, who, but for the gallant conduct of Lieutenant
Osborne, must inevitably have been drowned.
HENRY LAUGHRIN, BOATSWAIN'S MATE, H.M.S. 'CALLIOPE,'
RIO DE JANEIRO,
November, 1848.
On the 1st November, 1848, Captain Edward Stanley, of H.M.S.
'Calliope,' whilst returning from the shore to his ship in his gig,
was upset, together with the rest of his boat's crew, owing to the
boat being caught aback in a sudden squall; when Henry Laughrin,
boatswain's mate of the same ship, gallantly jumped overboard at the
risk of his own life, and saved Captain Stanley, whose life was
greatly endangered (though an expert swimmer) by a man clinging to
him. Several of the boat's crew were also rescued by the noble
conduct displayed by Laughrin.
This was the third instance of Laughrin's courage and humanity, he
having saved the lives of two shipmates in the years 1845 and 1848.
JOHN HUGGINS, QUARTER-MASTER OF H.M.S. 'SCOURGE,'
TRINIDAD, ETC.,
February, 1849.
In February, 1849, whilst H.M.S. 'Scourge' was at anchor off the
island of Trinidad, a boy named Thomas Burgess, of the same ship,
fell overboard, when John Huggins, quartermaster, prompted by the
most gallant spirit, instantly jumped overboard, and, by diving,
fortunately rescued the boy from drowning, but not without
encountering very great risk of his own life, owing to the number of
sharks which infest those waters. Independent of this gallant act,
Huggins, during his short career at sea (being still a very young
man) had, by his humane and meritorious conduct, been fortunate
enough to save at different periods eleven lives.