Lyttelton Trawler Still Missing

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30176, 6 July 1963, Page 10

Lyttelton Trawler Still Missing

The <3oft Lyttelton trawler Melba, with two brothers, Messrs Norman and George Liddicoat, on board, is still missing. She was last seen by another trawler at 5 p.m. on Wednesday when she was on a crayfishing trip off Motunau. Ships, launches, trawlers, and aircraft have been searching for the Melba, and police and farmers have been on the look-out along the coast from Akaroa to north of Kaikoura.

The Melba has a two-way radio-telephone, but no message has been picked up from the trawler by the signal tower at Lyttelton, the fishing fleet’s ghore radio base, or other trawlers and vessels at sea. “There is no question of giving up hope,” said Mr N. T. Brasell, one of Lyttelton's most experienced fishermen, last evening, “Trawlers have come through weather much worse than has been experienced since Wednesday. If the Melba is disabled, she could be adrift well out to sea and north-east of Kaikoura. She could be between Kaikoura and Cook Strait.” Mr Brasell said that with a proper sea anchor the Melba could ride the seas even though disabled. Mr N. Liddicoat did not fish as consistently out of Lyttelton as other trawlers in the fleet, and therefore did not use his radio-telephone as much as other boats did in making routine calls. Therefore, it was not unexpected that no call has been heard from the Melba on Wednesday. “All the trawlers in Lyttelton are ready to put to sea. The search is now at stage three, and we are all under the control of the search and rescue regional controller (Mr L. E. Dukes). We are awaiting his orders, and it is no use searching blindly.” Search Hampered Low cloud and fog again hampered the search yesterday, four Devon aircraft being unable to leave the Royal New Zealand AnForce station. Wigram, the base of the regional Air-Sea Search and Rescue Organisation. However, a Harvard and a Dakota from Ohakea searched the coast between Cape Campbell and Kaikoura. The Dakota made low sweeps 30 miles out to sea, and the Harvard made sweeps along the coastline.

The Lyttelton pilot launch Wairangi, which is equipped with radar, returned to port about noon yesterday after 17 hours at sea. The launch, with Captain J. A. Balfour

in command, searched as far north as Point Gibson, 15 miles north of Motunau. The Wairangi met heavy weather, and was almost stationary for two hours. The Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve launch, Pegasus, also equipped with radar, put to sea shortly before 1 pjn. yesterday to search as far north as Kaikoura. She was expected back at Lyttelton at midnight. Both inter-island steamers on Thursday and last night watched for the missing trawler on their radar screens, and all ships and aircraft on scheduled runs in the area were alerted. The search will be continued today. The forecast is for southerly winds with cibud, so the use of aircraft may again be restricted. Repaired Last Month After she sprang a leak off the Lyttelton Heads on June 12 the Melba was towed back to port by another trawler, put on a slip, and repaired by shipwrights to the satisfaction of insurance inspectors. The Melba is powered by a 55 h.p. diesel engine. She was built in Port. Chalmers 49 years ago, and fished out of Timaru, Akaroa. and Lyttelton. In March last year she was sold at auction to Mr W. H. Liddicoat, father of Messrs N. and G. Liddicoat, for £6OO. Mr N. Liddicoat is aged 29, and his brother 33. They live at 110 Coleridge street, Christchurch.

About 1620 French boys and girls who left Pans yesterday for holidays with English families were told: Do not embrace people and remetnber one of the most important members of an English household is the dog or cat. The children were also told not to mention Joan of Arc or Napoleon and to admire the British Royal Family, babies, and green lawns. The children, aged between 12 and 16> will live with English families in the London area and were given their inatrurtions in a pamphlet prepared by the organisers of their holiday.—London, J uly 4.