The Langston departed Bunbury at 6.30 am on Saturday 8 February 1902. The morning was fine, but at noon a gale began from south-south-west to south-west with a heavy cross sea running. The first mate, Carl Sunbye, later told a reporter: ‘When off Cape Naturaliste some 15 miles the captain gave instructions to lie out to windward—that is westerly—so to be well clear of the reefs.’ Captain Mörck had been watching out for the Naturaliste Reef, which he anticipated should be awash, but with heavy seas breaking it was impossible for him to see the break on the reef. At about 2 pm Mönck suddenly picked up the reef right in front, but it was too late and the Langston went crashing over the rocks. The barque immediately began to go down and, on sounding, the hold had made nine feet of water in a few minutes. The captain gave the order to clear away the boats. Three boats were lowered but one immediately filled with water and because of the rough seas it could not be bailed out. The second mate, Johann Weiseth, and seven of the crew got into the lifeboat, and the captain, first mate, steward, carpenter and a seaman went in a smaller boat. The Langston lay for a minute or so with the keel vertical, bow down and only the poop, mizzen mast and part of the keel visible, before slipping beneath the waves into deep water. From the time the Langston struck to the time the boats were lowered was ten minutes, and it sank only ten minutes after that in 23 fathoms (42 m) of water.