FATAL DARING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 27, 1 February 1934, Page 8

FATAL DARING.

COOK STRAIT DASH. SPEED BOAT CAPSIZES. OWNER DIES AFTER RESCUE. (P.y Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this clay. Ari attempt by two men in a highspeed motor boat to make a 50-mile dash from Wellington to Picton last evening ended tragically in the death of Mr. H. Clarke, of Wellington, the owner of the boat. With Mr. Clarke in the boat was Mr. F. W. Barrett-Wood, of Melbourne, a member of the Royal Brighton Yachting Club, who was in an extremely exhausted condition when rescued. The speed boat, known as the Elto. left Wellington at f>.l~> last evening, and all went well until a mishap off Cape Tcrawhiti caused the craft to capsize shortly after seven o'clock. At p.m. the crew of the steamer Kiwitea, en route to Wellington, heard cries from the overturned boat, which bv then had drifted towards The Brothers. A boat was launched, and 15 minutes later the men were taken aboard the steamer, Ivt Mr. Clarke collapsed and died shortly afterwards. Mr. BarrettWood was in an extremely exhausted condition. He had supported his companion in the water for three hours. The Klto is a light craft, said to be capable of a speed of up to 50 miles hour. It had been estimated that the crossing would take about from an hour and a quarter to an hour and 20 minutes. From the Wellington side the weather conditions appeared very favourable, and the trip was expected to be made speedily and smoothly, and to set up a surprise new record for the Cook Strait crossing. When the news of the non-appearance of the boat, after several hours' delay, was communicated to Wellington, extensive inquiries were made without any results until a radio message from the Kiwitea was received. A competitive touch to the venture was given by the fact that a similar outboard boat, driven by Mr. Alan Woodman, commodore of the Wellington Outboard Club, was to have accompanied the Klto. The two boats left at the same time, but before the Heads had been reached the engine in Mr. Woodman's craft developed a defect, and he had to return. Mr. Woodman had intended to make the return trip after reaching Picton. Mr. Barrett-Wood arrived in New Zealand recently on his way to Australia after a two years' absence, having visited Great Britain and the United .States.