In January 1948, the Norwegian motor vessel Tungenes, a 1,600-ton cargo ship, ran aground on a sandbank half a mile off Burry Port in Carmarthen Bay. Caught in heavy seas and suffering a broken rudder, the vessel became stranded at the peak of a spring tide making immediate salvage impossible and leaving her vulnerable for weeks.

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution responded swiftly. The Ferryside lifeboat Caroline Oates Aver and William Maine, crewed by local volunteers, launched into a south-easterly gale to reach the scene. En route, they assisted another vessel before locating the Tungenes, which lay high and dry on the sandbank. Though unable to refloat her, the lifeboat stood by throughout the night, maintaining a watch and offering reassurance to the crew as salvage tugs battled worsening conditions.

This incident highlights the enduring hazards of Carmarthen Bay where shifting sands and sudden storms have imperilled mariners for centuries and the vital role of lifeboat crews whose presence often meant the difference between safety and disaster.