Bravery awards for rescue at sea

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32430, 17 October 1970, Page 18

Bravery awards for rescue at sea

A Japanese and four New Zealanders have been awarded silver medals by the Royal Humane Sbciety of New Zealand. They were members of the crew of the refrigerated ship Aotearoa who rescued 22 men from a sinking ore carrier off the coast of Japan on February 9.

The men are George Peter Clarke, of Auckland. Wayne John Gurney (Auckland). Lawrence Mark Ikin (Lvftel-i ton), Farquhar Stoddart (Port Chalmers) and Tatsuo U c h i d a (Japan). The citation accompanying the medals reads in part as follows: “The vessel was approaching the east coast of Japan on February 9, in gale condi-j tions, when a distress signal was received from a Japanese ship. Course was changed to intercept the stricken ship, which was reached in darkness early the following morning. “At 5 a.m. the Japanese* master reported that his ship was about to sink and that: assistance was required urgently. The captain of the Aotearoa called for a volun-

; ! teer crew for a lifeboat. The wind was gusting to 60 knots, the seas were rising to above 30ft, and a heavy swell was i running. Men volunteered i “Farquhar Stoddart, an able seaman, was the first! to volunteer. Able Seaman Laurence Mark Ikin, and > Ordinary Seaman Wayne ; John Gurney also volunteered. The guarantee, • engineer, Tatsuo Uchida, in-j i sisted on joining the crew, • and the lifeboat was launched I under the command of the • Chief Officer, George Peter i Clarke. During the launching, . Mr Clarke was struck on the ■ head by a fall block and ; badlv dazed. “The lifeboat quickly i reached the ore carrier and i took off 22 survivors. Dur;ing the rescue, the rudder I became dislodged by a rope • ladder, making subsequent steering difficult. One of the

|ropes cast from the carrier fouled the propeller of the lifeboat, and Messrs Clarke. Ikin, Gurney, and Uchida ■ had to enter the water to cut the propeller free, This was particularly hazardous as the boat was drifting to where the vessel was sinking by the head. “Having taken off the survivors, a difficult task since three were injured, the lifeboat returned to the Aotearoa. Twenty minutes : later, the ore carrier sank. “In the face of extremely poor weather, the operation was entirely successful and* reflects great credit on the volunteer crew.”

Lyttelton rescue

A waterside worker at Lyttelton has been awarded the society’s bronze medal. Thomas Victor Nelson, a foreman stevedore, dived between the wharf and a ship, a gap of 3ft to 4ft, to rescue a man who fell off the deck of a truck into the water, on De- | cember 10. He was in the water for more than 15 minutes, tying a rope round the body of the man, and supporting him until a dinghy arrived.

Two Masterton men have been awarded bronze medals ! for rescuing two men trapped in a disabled fishing boat : 500 yards off-shore in heavy seas. They are Peter Jefferv Burkhart and Donald Duncan Fenemor, who launched their * jet-boat early on January 29 (from a rocky coastline, in spite of a warning from the I police that no other rescue craft could be sent out if they got into difficulties. When thye took off the two * crew from the fishing boat, it was holding on anchors, but broke free two hours later and was smashed on the i rocks. Fumes in ship Two Port Taranaki water- ■ siders have been awarded the society’s certificate of merit for rescuing a workmate overcome by the fumes of a! drum of chloral, which ex-i ploded in the hold of a ship on October 7, 1969. They are .Bernard George Carmine and, John Robinson. The citation* said there appeared to have* been no doubt that the res-' cued man would have lost his : life but for the courageous! and unselfish conduct of his* i workmates. Timothy Joseph Breuer.! Christopher James Cowan, and Trevor James Hodgson, all of Hastings, have been awarded the society’s certificate of merit for their attempt to rescue an inexperienced girl swimmer at Waimarama Beach on November 30, 1969. The incident took place 400 yards away from the beach patrol, in an area well known for dangerous cross-currents and strong undertow, the citation said. All three took considerable risks in rough seas and, although the girl was dead when they reached her, they displayed great courage in their attempted rescue.