Divers Recover Gear From Lake Coleridge

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31054, 9 May 1966, Page 14

Divers Recover Gear From Lake Coleridge

Nearly all the gear lost when his boat capsized on Lake Coleridge on April 30 was recovered by divers who spent two hours in the water on Saturday, Mr K. J. Boyce, of 4 Norrie street Papanui, said yesterday. Mr Boyce and Sergeant D. Surridge, of 9 Uxbridge street were in the water for three-quarters of an hour after their 15ft boat was overturned by a waterspout and spent the night in a cave after being washed ashore. Mr Boyce lost a spare 54 h.p. outboard motor and about £4O worth of fishing gear and a box of tools.. On Saturday everything except a gumboot and the box of tools was recovered. Mr Boyce said the men met at Darfield at 4.30 a.m. on Saturday and arrived at Lake

Coleridge at dawn. The search was helped by the fact that Mr Boyce had left a marker where the boat capsized. Mr E. Porter, a Lake Coleridge resident, said that, considering the temperature of the water and the depth (from 50ft to 150 ft) it was a miracle anything was recovered. Mr Boyce said he was most grateful to the recovery team, particularly Captain R. Bowman, New Zealand Army Engineers, his son, Mr P. Bowman, an instructor with the Canterbury Underwater Club, and Constable G. Elvin, a member of the club. Other members of the recovery team were Constables D. Batchelor, M. Smith, G. Tobal, and D. Christianson, and Mr G. Bates.