COROMANDEL YACHTING FATALITY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 304, 22 December 1903, Page 2

COROMANDEL YACHTING FATALITY.

FURTHER DETAILS

THE SWIM FOR LIFE.

Further particulars concerning the recent yachting accident by which three men lost their lives at Coromandel on Sunday are now to hand.

I Patrick Petley, one of the three I survivors, says that when the yacht I capsized, he and James Kirk struck out ; for the shore side by side, against a Utroug sc:i. Culder and Roil, 'two of Lhe victims, and Roil's son. aged 13, were swimming near, but Edgar, the third victim, was not in sight. After about twenty minutes' swimming Kirk dropped behind, shouting out "Good-bye, I cannot keep up any longer." But Petley, eeeing a sail ahead, shouted back, '"Keep up, Jim, here is a boat coming towards us."

Kirk says that this gave him courage to keep up till he was rescued. When the boat capsized, young Roil began to shout for help, but his father advised him to save his wind for his long swim. Calder and Roil, senr., were good swimmers, but the long battle with the heavy sea exhausted them, and first Roil and then Calder sank. Edgar was not seen from the first, and must have gone down with the yacht. Young Roil's success is the great surprise of the whole affair, because he was wearing heavy boots and was fully clothed. He must have been over half-an-hour in the water. The rescue was effected by Mr Pita, and it was evidently young Roil's shouts which first attracted his attention. Pita had landed on his island (Pita's Island) and was cooking some dinner when he fancied he heard shouts. He looked out to sea, and noticed that the Kathleen yacht had disappeared, lie and his mate Gatland rushed to their boat, crowded on sail, and picked up Petley, Kirk, and young Roil in quick succession.

C'alder, Edgar, and the elder Roil were never seen again. Each of the throe victims leaves a wife and several children.

Calder was well-known in Auckland, where he lived for several years. He and Petley were expert yachtsmen, but at the time of the accident the sheet was fastened down, and to this the disaster is attributed.

Two of the berraved families are left without support, mil steps are being taken to alleviate their distress.