http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penlee_lifeboat_disasterQuick version - 12 men volunteered to man the lifeboat in a Force 12. The coxswain selected eight, turning some away so that he didn't take more than one man from a family.
They did their best in 50ft high swells and got to the ship and managed to transfer some of the Union Star's crew aboard. No-one is sure exactly what happened next, but all eight men died, as did the eight people on the Union Star (including the captain's wife and step-daughters).
Guy on my rugby forum was playing nearby that afternoon. The wind was so strong that an out of hand punt cleared the length of the field (around 100m), only bouncing once.
