FOUR MISSING

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 60, Issue 80, 15 January 1940, Page 3

FOUR MISSING

MEMBERS OF YACHT’S CREW. OWNER STRUGGLES ASHORE. CRAFT WRECKED IN GALE. (Per Press Association). AUCKLAND. January 14. Four of a party of five men are missing and are believed to have been drowned after the Tnuranga B class keel yacht,' Ngnlmia, Avas wrecked oil Matakana Island during a raging storm on Saturday night. The owner of the yacht, Frank G. Gresham, a garage proprietor, of Tauranga, struggled ashore. Although suffering soA'orely from shock and bruises and a fractured rib, lie made his Avay across country to Mr R. Faulkner’s homestead for help. Those missing are:

Mr Leslie M. Medlars, married, aged 38, recently of Auckland, and uoav local inspector at Tauranga for the National Insurance Company. Philip H. Nielson, married, aged 33, borough council employee, Taur-

anga. Mr Roy Tonkin, single, aged 23, second son of Mr C. Tonkin, builder and contractor, Tauranga. Air John Herbert Willcook, single, aged 19, only son of Mr S. G. Willcock, secretary of the Bay of Plenty Racing Club.

The Ngnlmia left Tauranga on Friday (‘veiling for n cruise to White Island. She set out again on Saturday in good sailing Aveathoi for the return to Tauranga, but ran into very heavy Aveather on the Avay. across. Although Gresham is still suffering too severely from shock to be able to recount much that, happened, it was apparently decided to run for shelter at Motiti Island. By this time a furious gale had developed, and, unable to reach Motiti, Gresham attempted to go on to Mount Maiingainii, in a fierce rainstorm, Avhich Avas accompanied by a raging wind. The men could not pick up the beacon on the seaward- side of the mount and the yacht Avas compelled to go to sea again. She AA'ent ashore on Matakana Island shortly before 3 a.m., at a point about tAvo miles north of the mount.

Whether the yacht struck in. the surf or farther out is not knoAvn, because only fragments of the hull have so far been found and the exact position of the Avreck lias not been discovered. From Avhat has been obtained from Gresham, hoAvever, it is thought that at least 50 yards of boiling surf separated the five men from safety. It Avas impossible to use the yacht’s dinghy, and the men. plunged into the sea clinging to mattresses given to them by Gresham. The mattresses Avere found on Matakana Island beach to-day L fby search parties, but, although nearly 16 miles of shore was combed from daylight to dark, and other men scoured the coast of the mainland, no other trace has been found. ‘