In January 1890, six people lost their lives when the 2,248 ton steel-built full-rigged ship Irex ran ashore on her maiden voyage under stress of weather in Scratchell's Bay, off of The Needles Batteries. She was carrying 3,600 tons of sewerage pipes to Rio de Janeiro. Due to the weather, the lifeboat was unable to reach the Irex and after twenty minutes of rowing, it had to give up and was towed away by the outward-bound steam collier 'Hampshire'. When Dennett's rocket apparatus arrived and was set up by the Freshwater Bay Life Saving Apparatus Company on the downs outside the Needles Fort, its first shot sent a rope clear over the fore yardarm, 400 feet away. Twenty nine crew were saved by hauling them from the ship's mast to the cliff top by Breeches buoy.