FOUR DROWNED

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21992, 16 January 1937, Page 14

FOUR DROWNED

SCOW CAPSIZES IN

STORM

HAURAKI GULF TRAGEDY

MEN SWEPT FROM DINGHY

BY HEAVY SEA

(PBESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.)

AUCKLAND, January 15,

Four were drowned when the scow Rangi was lost off Mototapu Island, in the Hauraki Gulf, in the early hours of this morning. The victims were: —

CHARLES DE FAIRE, ship's cook, aged 64, single.

CAPTAIN PETER JOHANSSEN PETERSEN, aged 54, married, of Epsom.

HAROLD HELGESON, leading hand, aged 34, married, of Auckland.

WILLIAM (surname unknown), of Auckland, aged 20.

A member of the crew and a boy on a holiday voyage were saved, having been washed ashore. They were: John William Frederick Mason, ship's boy, aged 21, single, of Epsom; Donald William Woodroffe, an Auckland Grammar School boy, aged 14. The Rangi, bound from Tauranga to Auckland with a cargo of logs for the Leyland-O'Brien Timber Company, was reported last night to be in distress off Rakino Island, about 10 miles from Auckland, in the Hauraki Gulf. A message was brought down by another coastal craft and was flashed by Morse lamp to the Mount Victoria signal station. The' Auckland Harbour Board's tug Te Awhina was immediately dispatched to give assistance. She left Auckland shortly before 11 o'clock. The dinghy was found smashed on the beach at Winstone's Bay, Hauraki Gulf, about 16 miles from Auckland, but there was no sign of the wrecked scow.

It is now established that the Rangi turned turtle when lashed by tempestuous seas off Mototapu Island. Of the four who were drowned only one body, that of de Faire, has so far been found. The search for the others continues. They were all swept from the ship's dinghy by a heavy sea when attempting to reach the shore.

DESOLATE SCENE ON CLIFFS

COOK'S BODY TIED TO ROCK LEDGE

BOY IN SEMI-CONSCIOUS

CONDITION

(PltGdS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) /TUCKLAND, January 15. It was a desolate scene on the cliffs above Winstone's Cove this morning. The storm had abated somewhat, but there was still a strong gale blowing. On the rocks below huge grey-green combers were breaking, throwing showers of spray, which was whipped by the wind to spatter the watchers on the cliffs above. In the water below scraps from a dinghy were floating, and a tragic remainder of the fateful night—the body of the cook, Charlie de Faire—was lying on the ledge of rock where it had been left in the early morning. It had been impossible to carry it up the cliff face, so those who had found it had lifted it to a ledge of rock out of reach .of the sea, and had tied it there for greater security. They were still watching the sea, and searching the coast line for a trace of the other three men; but at midday there was no further discovery.

Broken spars and wreckage, presumably from the Rangi, were sighted this morning by Mr Shakespeare at Whangaparaoa peninsula, floating about two miles south of the peninsula. Three pieces of wreckage were sighted later from Tiri-Tiri, floating about three miles and a half south-west of the island. . The boy Woodroffe' was in a semiconscious condition when he was found on the beach at Winstone's Cove. One of his arms had been strained at some period during the night, and even this morning he was in a very dazed condition. He could remember little of the details of the night's happening, and nothing of what happened to him after the dinghy capsized. It is possible, however, that he had about him one lifebelt that was taken from the scow into the dinghy. It, too, was found at the cove this morning, along with some wreckage of the dinghy. This morning Mr W. D. Woodroffe, father of the boy, was informed that his son was. safe,i and he went over to Mr Percy Winstone's home at the cove, where the boy had been lodged during the night alter being found.

Tug Sent to Assist

In response to the scow Rangi's appeal for assistance, which was flashed bv Morse lamp to the Mount Victoria signal station by the scow Altair. the Auckland Harbour Board's tug Te Awhina put to sea at 10.45 last night under the command of Captain Probert. As soon as the tug was clear of North Head she encountered the full force of the gale, which raised a steep and vicious sea. With her engines turning over at full speed the Te Awhina was able to average only about six and a half knots. Some heavy seas crashed aboard, and although all hatches and skylights were closed a considerable amount of water found its way below and affected the electrical installation. Some lights went out. and others continued to burn after the electricity had been switched off from them. When the tug reached the reported position she cruised in circles between the Island and the mainland. It was believed on board that the scow had foundered at her anchorage, but that some of the crew might be adrift in the dinghy. Finding no sign of the scow or the log cargo which she was reported to have jettisoned, the Te Awhina sought a sheltered anchorage close in to Rangitoto, and remained there from 2.15 a.m. until 4 a.m. The spell gave her crew a badly-needed opportunity to recuperate, as, battened down in the stokehold and the engineroom, they had been almost suffocated, At 4 a.m.. the tug returned to.Rakino and again circled the island.