The Wreck of the Mary Deare 1959 In the English Channel, John Sands Charlton Heston, from a small rescue ship, finds the freighter Mary Deare drifting Although theres only a little fire, the whole crew seems to have left the ship Johns already looking forward to a large salvage fee, but then he finds First Officer Gideon Patch Gary Cooper still on board Sands cant get back to his tug boat and stays with Patch while Patch grounds the Mary Deare Although he doesnt understand yet what happened on the Mary Deare, Sands allows Patch to persuade him not to talk about what he saw on board, and to drag out the official investigation of the incident