GRAVE FEARS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 28, 3 February 1936, Page 9

GRAVE FEARS.

.1 ; FATHER AND SON. MISSING ON LAUNCH. RIDING MOUNTAINOUS SEAS. ; (By Telegraph.—Special to "Star.") NEW PLYMOUTH, this day. Taranaki coastal waters were churned 2 by the south-easterly gale into the f worst seas known for a decade. 1 Four New Plymouth fishing launches r were miles from port all Saturday night and grave fears are entertained for one, which is believed to be riding out the storm. Two returned after a 1 tempestuous struggle for port. I The 28-foot launch Mokau, with her J owner, Mr. W. F. McLeod, of Pioneer i' Road, Moturoa, and his son, Angus £ MeLeod, left above 5 o'clock 011 Satur- •' day morning to fish 011 the south coast, 1 nine miles from Jfew Plymouth. A seaworthy craft, the Mokau is stated to - have left port with nine gallons of ben- - zine, sufficient to carry her about 90 1 miles. She was last seen just before • dusk on Saturday night, when she was 1 sighted plunging in heavy seas about > six miles off Seal Rock. ' Tlio boat was expected home that ' night, but nothing has since been heard L of her and experienced seafarers are ! inclined to be sceptical whether an 1 open-cockpit launch could possibly weather the mountainous seas raging off the coast. . The only hope is said to be that she t has taken shelter or been blown out to I sea. It is thought that if the Mokau is afloat she has been swept by the gale [ to sea. One launch owner yesterday was of i the opinion that the launch might be t' carried as far as SO miles from shore, ■ so great was the velocity of the gale. Meanwhile members of the family t and fellow launclimen and townspeople . await anxiously for news. Mrs. McLeod, ; who expected her husband to return to ; New Plymouth 011 Saturday evening, : waited in vain at the wharves till 4.30 I o'clock yesterday morning. ( * ['