Crayfishermen Rescued

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30211, 16 August 1963, Page 14

Crayfishermen Rescued

(N Z. Press Association) GISBORNE. Aug. 15. Battling through heavy surf and racing fading light, Gisborne lifesavers rescued two crayfishermen from the sea at Tata-

pouri, 10 miles from Gisborne, about 5.45 this evening.

The men rescued were: John Penny, married, of Gisborne, and Peter Smiler, of Manutuke.

The pair had been clinging to an overturned dinghy for an hour before they were brought ashore exhausted. They had left crayfish pots when their craft was swamped and overturned by

a big wave a quarter of a mile from the shore.

The alarm was raised by the proprietor of the Tatapouri Hotel, soon after 5 p.m. The police, headed by Sergeant D Moloney, raced to the scene with surf men and a surf ski equipped trailer which arrived about 5.25 p.m. Two Waikanae Surf LifeSaving Club members, Peter Gregory and Bruce Adams, went out on surf skis, picked up the exhausted men, and were directed back to the beach by the flashing lights of the police car and torches. The rescuers had to fight their way through heavy surf and dangerous rocky outcrops. The rescued men were

rushed to the Tatapouri Hotel where they soon recovered after hot showers, blankets and hot drinks The harbour board’s tug. Takitimu, was rushed to the scene, but her services were not needed. The rescuers were assisted by other members of the Waikanae, Midway and Wainui Surf Clubs One of the rescued men, Mr Penny, said tonight he and his companion could not have lasted much longer. The secretary of the Gisborne Surf Life-Saving Association, Mr K. Morse, paid a tribute to the rescuers, whose names, he said, should be forwarded for commendation.