Big search finds boat

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34131, 19 April 1976, Page 14

Big search finds boat

(N 2. Press Association) WANGANUI, April 18. A stricken cabin cruiser with four persons aboard was towed into Wanganui soon after 1 p.m. today—ending one of the largest searches in the region for some time.

All four — two men and two children — were in good condition, though the children were admitted to the Wanganui Base Hospital for observation. They were Morris Cole, aged 46, a fanner of Ruatiti, his sons, Ashley, aged nine, and Brendan, aged six, and an employee, Robert Bruce Rainham, aged 25.

The craft was found beside the Waipipi Islands buoy at 9.20 ajn. after a night-long aerial search, which began about 8.30 p.m. on Saturday when the party failed to return from a fishing trip. They had left Wanganui at 1 p.m. on Saturday in Mr Cole’s IBft cabin cruiser intending to spend a few hours

fishing off the coast at Kai Iwi.

Heading back to port about 4.30 p.m. a bolt in the boat’s steering mechanism sheered. With no radio or flares aboard, the party was helpless. The four pulled up the canopy, added a few shark weights to the anchor, and waited. Mrs Cole alerted the Search and Rescue Organisation. R.N.ZAF. Dakota aircraft stayed in the air all night. They were joined at first light today by aircraft from the Wanganui Aero Club and at 9.20 a.m. the boat was found and then was towed back by the Castlecliff Surf Life-Saving Club’s surf rescue craft. Mr Cole said that sea conditions were rough at times. The children were "as good as gold” and slept part of the night. An angler for 20 years, he bought the boat only last October. He had a complete set of tools aboard but was unable to reach the steering mechanism.