Jonge Thomas was a merchant ship who sailed several times to the Dutch East Indies and China.

Wolraad Woltemade and his horse successfully entered the water seven times and rescued fourteen people.

She had an intermediate stop at Cape of Good Hope for two weeks in March 1766 and arrived at Batavia on 25 June 1766.

Many lives were lost as the ship started to break up but a substantial number of survivors were left clinging to the hull.

The stricken ship was not too far from dry land and many sailors attempted to swim ashore.

Most of those who did so perished; the water was cold and the current from the nearby Salt River too great.

Governor Joachim van Plettenberg sent 30 soldiers to the beach, to guard the ship and prevent washed-up cargo from being stolen.