MYSTERY SOLVED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 144, 21 June 1939, Page 6

MYSTERY SOLVED.

FISHING LAUNCH IN FLAMES.

SOLE OCCUPANT SWAM ASHORT

(from Our Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY. -Tune 17. A launch mystery was cleared up when on Wednesday a Yugoslav. Pi'iil Gufiicli. walked into Tort Kemhla police station and announced that he had »wum 150 ynrd* to »horo from a blnzing launch. About, midnight on Monday a launch was seen in flames* a quarter of a mile from j the entrance to Shell Harbour, near Kiatna. on the South Coast. Three men, all foreigners, had previously been seen using a bunch for fishing, but no one had seen It. leave on that occasion, so it was not known how many men were aboard. A fisherman who first noticed the launch afire went out to it and circled ■round but could «ee no sign of anyone in the water. He went back to the shore for assistance and went out to the launch again, Jrot although he circled around until th* launch burned down tp the water'* edge and sank, he saw no STgm of anyone. The coast was searched in caee ,a body had been waehed ashore, but ■ nothing was found. Then on Wednesday Gugich told the police that he had gone out fishing by htaself, end that when he was attempting to start the engine it backfired and the'launch buret into flames. He tried to extinguish them, but finding that he could not, jumped overboard and swam ashore. He said he had l.een living at Port Kembla for the past two years and fishing along the Nonth Coast. Ho Valued the launch at £150.