On 19 April 1872 tragedy struck Mullion when the First Coxswain of the Mullion lifeboat, William Mundy, was drowned in an unexplained incident off Porthleven when his 18-foot sailing boat sank. He was a very experienced sailor and fisherman and was in the process of collecting some new nets from Porthleven. With him at the time were two of his sons, Joel (25) and Henry(13) and a carpenter, Henry John Williams (20), son of Peter Williams, former landlord of the Kings Arms at Mullion. The weather was squally, the wind was strong and at the time of the incident there were already 100 or so steamers and sailing ships sheltering off Penzance and in the Mounts Bay Roads. There is still a memorial cross dedicated to Henry Mundy in Mullion parish church.