THE TIRI TO THE RESCUE

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31215, 12 November 1966, Page 1

THE TIRI TO THE RESCUE

(N.Z. Press Association)

AUCKLAND, Nov. 11. The crew of the Radio Hauraki ship Tiri came to the rescue of Captain F. P. Ladd this morning when the motor of his amphibian aircraft refused to fire after flying a new crew member to the Tiri, moored in international waters in the Hauraki Gulf. Captain Ladd’s amphibian alighted near the Tiri at 9.30 a.m. Also aboard the aircraft were Mr D. J. Gapes, managing director of Radio Hauraki: 81-year-old Mrs G. B. Buttle, of Auckland: her companion, Miss V. M. Gross; and a press photographer. The trouble started after the new man had been put aboard the Tiri and Mr Gapes had spent about 20 minutes talking to the crew. Mr Gapes was returned to the aircraft by dinghy, but because of a fault with the fuel mixture system, the plane motor refused to fire. Repeated attempts to start the motor led to a flat battery. “This was the point where the Tiri buccaneers came to the rescue,” Captain Ladd reported later. They rowed out to the amphibian in the dinghy with a long cable. “After towing the aircraft as close as possible to the Tiri ian electric cable was attached i to the fiat battery to recharge it.” While this operation was under way Captain Ladd sue-

ceeded in adjusting the fuel mixture system. “I was a little bit worried in case the wind should get up,” he said. “There are probably no more than about three days a year when the sea is calm enough to allow ian amphibian to be put down at this point.”

After a struggle lasting about 75 minutes the motor finally fired and the party was able to take off safely. “The sound of the motor firing was the sweetest music I heard all day,” said Captain Ladd. Mrs Buttle, who makes frequent fights with Captain

Ladd, said of the incident: “We were not a scrap worried. We have every confidence in Captain Ladd and we knew everything would be all right. It was just another adventure.”

Mrs Buttle explained that she her companion

started flying several years ago mainly for health reasons. The picture shows the Tiri at her moorings in the Hauraki Gulf—nine miles from Cape Colville nine miles from Great Barrier Island, and 13 miles from Little Barrier Island. * I