On 26 March 1997, when the 300-ft container vessel "Cita" hit rocks off the south coast of the Isles of Scilly, the crew of the stricken vessel were rescued by St Mary's Lifeboat with the support of a helicopter from RNAS Culdrose. They returned to the UK mainland on board "Scillonian III" later that afternoon. As air traffic to Scilly was suspended for the day due to poor visibility on the mainland, the government authorities chartered the "Scillonian III" to make a night sailing from Penzance to bring officials, shipwreck specialists and police reinforcements to St Mary's.