Coaster Picks Up Two Men In Drifting Boat

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28491, 22 January 1958, Page 17

Coaster Picks Up Two Men In Drifting Boat

. The 890-ton coastal vessel Poranui rescued two men and their small boat off Cape Palliser, on Monday.

The story of the rescue was told in Lyttelton yesterday morning when the Poranui, of the Northern Steam Ship Company, berthed with the two rescued men, Messrs A. D. McGill and L. Homan, both of Palmerston North, and their 16 feet dinghy aboard.

The Poranui’, master, Captain E. F. Brown, who has been on coastal runs for more than 40 years, rescued the men in a northwest gale which was sweeping the dinghy out to sea. The Poranui was on the way from Tauranga to Lyttelton. "We had pulled out in the dinghy from Palliser Bay early on Monday morning to clear 50 crayfish pots," Mr Homan said. “About 8 o'clock a wind got up, and tossed the dinghy about, wrenching the seven horse-power outboard motor from its bracket.

I heard a splash and looked round just -in time to see the motor sinking into the sea,” he said. Swept Out to Sea

In a matter of minutes the dinghy was being swept out to sea. Watched by a large group of fishermen and holidaymakers on Palliser Bay beach, the two men hoisted their oars and waved them as a distress signal. They could not row against the strong

seas which had whipped up in a few minutes. The Cape Palliser lighthouse keeper (Mr Barrie Hill) notified Wellington radio ZLW when he savz the plight the men were in and the radio station alerted the Air Sea Rescue Organisation. While the dinghy continued to drift a Harvard aircraft swept across the area. Captain -Brown, in command of the only ship which could get to the men in time, answered a distress signal from station ZLW and made for the area at full speed, with the crew alerted and preparing rescue equipment. “The Harvard spotted the dinghy only once, as it heaved up and down in heavy seas,” Captain Brown said. “It it had not we would not have been able to pick the men up. The pilot gave us a smack on position, and we steamed toward it,” he added. Meantime, said Mr Homan, picking up the story and describing the battle against the sea, the men stopped rowing. "We were tossing about all over the place and the boat was full of crayfish,” he said. “We didn’t have to go very far

off course to find the dinghy, but we were within 200 yards before the lookouts spotted her. Both men were completely done-in and appeared to have given up all hope of rescue,” said Captain Brown.

Although the dinghy was then five miles off the shore the seas were still not as heavy as they were another mile further out.

The coaster swung round and made a lee for the dinghy. As the Poranui moved slowly in under the cape, the men attempted to row for land. They could make no progress, and were taken aboard and the dinghy towed. Within 400 yards of the coast the men were placed back in the dinghy, and, shielded by the coaster, again tried to row for the land.

The Poranui, said Captain Brown, got to within 200 yards of the cape. “I could not risk taking this new £250,000 ship in any closer. The cape is notorious for

huge, sunken rocks,” he added. Then, as no progress was being made, Captain Brown took the men aboard and hauled up their boat. Crayfish Lost “They are the luckiest blokes I have ever met. They’d better go straight out and take a ticket in Tatts,” Captain Brown said, while the two men listened, in a cabin in the Poranui yesterday morning. “I’m sorry we lost the crayfish, chaps,” Captain Brown remarked to the rescued men yesterday. “I spent a bit of time last night wandering round looking for any that might have been saved—l love them.” Neither Mr Homan nor Mr McGill appeared to be worse for their experience yesterday morning. Both men left later for Christchurch with relatives to arrange for the transfer of their craft home. “That’s the end of small boats for me,” remarked Mr Homan. They left by air for Palmerston North late yesterday afternoon.