The Guttenburg was a German brig of 170 tons that was wrecked on the Goodwin Sands on 1 January 1860, resulting in the death of 26 of the 31 people aboard.
The survivors were later delivered safely into the hands of the Walmer lugger Cosmopolite in a chance meeting off the coast of Dover.
The Deal boatman Stephen Pritchard sent a telegram to Ramsgate harbor, asking for the lifeboat there to be launched.
The lifeboat Northumberland, pulled by the Ramsgate steam tugboat Aid began to make a rescue attempt, but the boatmen and harbor tug men were prevented from leaving the harbor by the harbormaster, because he had not received the distress call by the proper means, and regulations had not been observed.
[1] This delay resulted in the deaths of 26 passengers and crew (including the Deal pilot, Henry Pearson).