Charles Cochran won the Royal Humane Society silver medal for attempting to rescue a sailor from drowning. The circumstances were as follows. At 7.30pm on 28 January 1883, off Tarbert, Stoker Andrew Hooper, from HMS Valiant, was getting from the steam launch to the Jacob’s ladder, in order to board the armoured iron frigate HMS Valiant, when he accidentally fell into the water. The river was one mile wide at this point and seven fathoms deep, the night dark and a gale was blowing. Hooper could scarcely be seen due to the darkness. Able Seaman George Bennett jumped over the stern and supported the unconscious Hooper. Lieutenant Cochran observing by the light of a signal that the men were floating astern in the darkness, also jumped overboard and assisted them to the buoy which was hanging over the stern with a glass hawser attached. All three were picked up by boats in due course, though unfortunately Andrew Hooper was dead. The rescue was brought to the attention of the RHS by the Admiralty. The Society approved the award of its silver medal to Cochrane and Bennett at its committee meeting of 20 February 1883 (RHS case no. 21921). Further details on Cochran are included in the forthcoming book SAVED LIVES, by Roger Willoughby.