SURVIVORS RESCUED.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 63, Issue 173, 4 May 1943, Page 2

SURVIVORS RESCUED.

fifteen Hours in water CRASH OF A FLYING BOAT (Special Australian Correspondent N.Z.P.A.) SYDNEY, May 3.

The survivors from the Qantas fly-ing-boat which crashed into the sea near a northern Australian port on April 22 swam for nearly 15 hours before being rescued. Of the 31 men in the flying-boat, 22 Royal Australian Air Force personnel, five American soldiers, and the crew of four, IS were saved.

The 13 missing comprise seven Royal Australian Air Force aircraftmen,, v four American soldiers, and two members of the flying-boat crew. The story of the forced landing and subsequent rescue efforts has now been told. The flying-boat was forced down at night in a heavy storm, and began to sink immediately. Some of the men had been knocked unconscious by the landing crash, and were unable to get out of the cabin. Others were dragged out by their mates just before the aeroplane sank. A launch passed close by the survivors during the night, but missed them. In the early morning two aeroplanes passed overhead, but did not notice the men in the water. “As the suii came up we swam for a point of land we could see in the distance,” said one of the rescued men. "One of the men who was badly hurt when the aeroplane crashed was delirious and kept crying for a drink and asking us whether we had telephoned for a doctor. We towed him along. “More aeroplanes flew high overhead. We splashed madly in the water but they did not see us. A school of big kingfish leapt out of the water within a few yards of us. To ouri horror we saw they were being chased by a shark about 14 feet long. The shark was too busy concentrating on the kingfish to worry about iis. “At midday we saw some small boats off shore. After picking us up they searched the area and found other survivors.”