A close up view of a crewman in the breeches buoy being caught by four members of the Sennen Cove Rocket Brigade (and one of the ship's crew in a cork lifejacket) having been rescued from the stranded cargo ship City of Cardiff (1906) in Mill Bay (or Nanjizal). The photograph shows how the crewman is suspended in the breeches buoy from a block and tackle suspended on a rope stretched between the ship and shore. Rope lashed to the block allows it to be pulled backwards and forwards from ship to shore.

A glass copy negative from an original print.

The City of Cardiff was on passage from Dartmouth to Barry Roads in ballast when it was forced shore in heavy weather on 21 March 1912. Despite laying anchors to prevent the ship being driven further in shore under the cliffs, the cables broke and the ship ended up broadside-to. The Times newspaper reported this on 22 March 1912: 'The steamer City of Cardiff, 3,089 tons, during the strong westerly gale yesterday afternoon went ashore at Millbay, two miles south-east of Land's End, while on a voyage from Havre to Cardiff in ballast. All lives were saved by the rocket brigade who landed 23 men and two women, the wives of the Captain and the chief officer, and the latter's little child. The ship is lying under close to the cliffs on a rocky bottom.'