FISHING LAUNCH DISAPPEARS

Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24280, 10 June 1944, Page 4

FISHING LAUNCH DISAPPEARS

MEN ABOARD BELIEVED DROWNED WRECKAGE SEEN OFF KAITUNA BEACH The Port Chalmers fishing launch Hope, which was last seen five miles off The mouth of the Ashburton river on Thursday afternoon, was located again yesterday morning by air reconnaissance two miles off the mouth of Lake Ellesmere, but later she disappeared in the heavy seas. Wreckage was washed ashore, and it is believed that the two men aboard, Messrs S. Bensley and J. Guyton, were drowned. The Hope had been fishing 20 miles north-east of Taiaroa Heads on Tuesday morning. A south-west gale sprang upland the Hope lost contact with another launch at 1.20 p.m. Apparently she drifted steadily up the coast until located from the air on Thursday afternoon. Three launches left Timaru at 5 p.m. in an endeavour to rescue the Hope, but the search was abandoned because of extremely rough seas after the launches had been out all night and travelled 45 miles north to the north of Timaru.

The searching Royal New Zealand Air Force aircraft, which had lost contact with the Hope at dusk on Thursday, were out on reconnaissance again early yesterday morning, and maintained a constant watch as soon as they had sighted the Hope. A heavy south-west gale was blowing, and there was a very rough sea, and as a result the Hope drifted until she was 500 yards off Kaituna Beach. As the Hope was about to reach the breaker area off the beach, the aircraft landed so that the crews could assist in rescue operations. When the Hope was last seen one man on board was standing at the stern, and the other was sitting amidships. Attempts to drop food to the crew had been made earlier in the morning, but it was difficult to do so because of the strong wind and the high sea, and the men were unable to pick up the special containers.

An ambulance was sent from Christchurch after the Hope had' been sighted, and a Royal New Zealand Air Force doctor and a stretcher party were ready to give first-aid. After the launch had disappeared it was impossible to attempt rescue operations, and the search for the men was taken over by a police party from Christchurch. A launch from Akaroa went out yesterday morning to assist in the rescue operations, but it was forced to. turn back because of the bad weather outside Akaroa Heads.

WORK OF RESCUE LAUNCHES

SEARCH BY NIGHT IN HIGH SEAS From Oui Own Reporter

TIMARU, June 9,

The three launches which left Timaru yesterday alternoon to go to the assistance of the Hope were attached to the Air Sea Rescue Service at Timaru—a unit which was originally formed to assist airmen forced down at sea. The launches used were the Timaru Harbour Board’s pilot launch, commanded by Captain F. J. Calian, the harbourmaster at Timaru; the Sealorth, a big Diesel launch owned by Messrs D. Costie and J. G. Sutherland, and the Stella, commanded by Mr N. •Manning, one of the most experienced fishermen at Timaru. As soon as word was received at Timaru late yesterday afternoon that the Hope was in difficulties, Captain Calian and members of the Police Force (which co-operates with Air Sea Rescue Service! arranged for the most suitable launches available to be made ready, and for the recruiting of crews. At the time fishermen with extensive knowledge of the coastline near where the Hope had been sighted at the mouth of the Ashburton river, considered that there was little hope of effecting a rescue because of the exceptionally heavy seas. However, it was decided that, with reasonable luck, the rescue launches might come across the Hope, and at 4.30 p.m. yesterday the three boats left Timaru harbour on a northeasterly course. When the boats reached the area where the Hope had been sighted last, a very dangerous sea was running, and visibility was poor. No flares were sighted, and as the masters of the launches considered that their vessels were in danger, a decision was made to return to Timaru.

The pilot launch, which steamed 35 miles along Ninety Mile Beach, reached Timaru at 3.30 o’clock this morning, but the Seaforth, which went 10 miles further up the beach, did not get back until about 7 o’clock. The Stella returned to Timaru earlier, and the decision of its master to turn back because of the arduous conditions encountered was borne out by the return of the other vessels. The launches were out of sight of each other for the whole journey. On his return to Timaru, Ca’ptain Calian paid a tribute to the plucky attempt made by the 15 or so members of the Air Sea Rescue Service to locate the missing boat. They had been standing by lor a whole day before actually leaving Timaru, he said, and when the decision had been made to attempt the rescue, the boats had got under way very promptly. The Hope was 33 feet long, with an open cockpit, and powered with an eight horse-power engine. It is believed that she carried no mast, sails, sea anchor, or other emergency equipment.