Barry Crump Found Starving On Island

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30337, 13 January 1964, Page 10

Barry Crump Found Starving On Island

(N .Z .P .A.-Reuter—Copyright) PORT MORESBY, January 11. The well-known New Zealand writer, Barry Crump, aged 28, is recuperating in Port Moresby after being found almost starving on barren Lizard Island on January 8.

Lizard Island is a tropical island in the Great Barrier Reef Passage, about 15 miles off the north Queensland Coast near Cape Flattery. Mr Crump, who said he had gone to the island about a month ago with some companions to investigate the possibility of deep sea fishing in the area, was found by the captain and crew of the small trading vessel Darega, which put into the island for shelter on Wednesday when a ey clone warning was issued. Captain R. F. Houfe, of Frankston, Victoria, said, when his vessel arrived in Port Moresby today, that Mr Crump was weak from hunger when found and seemed on the verge of collapse. Mr Crump, who had been living in Cooktown, Queensland, said that he had been left on the island about a month ago. He did not know the exact date. His companions had returned once with more food, but had not come back to take him off as expected just before Christmas. He did not know their present whereabouts. he said. Mr Crump had a tent, blankets, a little food and some fishing lines. For a month he lived on crabs, turtles and fish. He got waiter from a spring. Mr Crump said he twice attempted to reach the mainland in a small dinghy, but bad weather drove him back. During his stay on the

island he lost a stone and a half in weight. He said he tried to write to pass the time away on the island. He said he was worried about being found, but thought help might come eventually because fishing boats sometimes called at the island.