YACHTING ACCIDENT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 68, 19 March 1908, Page 5

YACHTING ACCIDENT.

WELLINGTON PARTY'S EXCITING EXPERIENCE.

A party of Wellington yachtsmen had an exciting experience in the harbour on Tuesday morning. The 18ft. centreboard half - decked yacht Ibex, owned by Messrs. P. Brockett and R. Kawnsley, left the boat harbour at 9 a.m. on Tuesday for Lowry Bay with a party of six, comprising Messrs. Paxil Freyberg, E. Fordham, C. V. Fordham, E. Jenkinson, and two lads, Jowitt and Kenneth Aekins, who are employed in the office of Messrs. Chapman and Tripp, solicitors.

There was a hard northerly breeze, but the little boat weathered the blow in good style till about 10.30 a.m., when a quarter of a mile off Lowry Bay Point. Then a fierce squall struck the craft. The jib-sheet fouled and the boat capsized. All the occupants were precipitated into the water, and for a moment some anxiety was occasioned for the safety of tfee two boys.

Messrs. Freyberg and C. V Fordham, both excellent swimmers, placed the boys in as safe a position beside the overturned boat as was possible under the circumstances. The strong breeze made the yacht,' which was lying on its side, drift away from the shore, and as the water was extremely cold, the crew began to look anxiously for help.

Fortunately, after drifting for half-an-hour, Messrs. Bittell, McDonald, and J. Brady, of Petone, who were engaged in refloating the yacht Karaka, which blew ashore at Fisherman's Bend recently, noticed the capsized Ibex, and they went to the rescue in the 14ft. half-decked Mahau. Relief did not arrive any too soon, and the two boys were almost in extremis when lifted from the water. The party were conveyed ashore, and were very kindly treated at Mrs. D. J. Nathan's residence. The lad Aekins was almost in a state of collapse. He was revived by the aid of an electric battery. After resting, the boys were dispatched to their home in Mrs. Nathan's motor car.

The remainder of the crew soon recouped, and brought the capsized yacht ashore. The Ibex was bailed out and moored for the meanwhile at Lowry Bay. The stranded yacht Karaka was refloated, and the Ibex's crew returned to town last evening in the Karaka, little the worse for their exciting experience.