RADIOS FOUND IN DRUM

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32210, 31 January 1970, Page 12

RADIOS FOUND IN DRUM

(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, January 30. Three youths on holiday on the Coromandel Peninsula found a drum full of valuable radios this week.

Barry and Peter Sanders, aged 17 and 19, and Ralph Noble, aged 19, have been staying at Waikawau Bay. On Monday they found a 12 gallon drum in a large tidal pool about a mile from Waikawau Bay. Bolted to one end was a steel plate with a large eye welded to it

The youths thought at first that it was a dinghy anchor. “They rolled it up the beach and smashed in a bung at the other end of the drum,” said Mr L. Sanders, father of the two Sanders boys. “Inside they saw pieces of red doth, and when they pulled this apart they could see a transistor radio. They rushed back to the camp, got some tools, then unscrewed the plate and took out the treasure.”

They found 10 big transistor radios, 20 small radios, and all the accessories, such as leather bands and hearing aids. The rest of the drum was filled up with the small batteries used to run the radios.

AU the radios were made in Japan, but packing them in tight were two New Zealand newspapers, one dated July and the other August last year. There were no marks on the drum, which was painted a dark yellow.

The youths got in touch with the Customs Department the next day, Mr Sanders said. Mr M. J. O’Connor, Collector of Customs in Auckland, said the drum would probably have been thrown overboard from a ship to a small boat There was provision under the act for a reward to be paid for the finding of such contrabrand, he said.