Prayer heard, as water runs out

Press, 7 December 1976, Page 1

Prayer heard, as water runs out

Staff reporter Nelson “Lord, don’t Y ou want me to be saved?”

This cry from a shipwrecked mariner, Gary Gagne. was uttered last Saturday as he watched an old tramp steamer sail unheedingly past, within 300 m of his partially submerged trimaran.

But within 24 hours, the 27-year-old Canadian from Schelt, British Columbia, had been picked up—after spending 17 days adrift in his capsized boat. Two of these he spent inside the submerged cabin until the gale that had capsized the boat blew itself out. Mr Gagne told the story of his 17 days ordeal after the American tuna clipper Kerri-M docked in Nelson yesterday afternoon. The vessel was close at hand after the helicopter from another tuna clipper, the Apollo, had discovered the almost submerged trimaran on Sunday about 300 km off Ninety-Mile Beach. Because the Kerri-M was sailing to Nelson Mr Gagne came along as a very willing passenger.

When he stepped ashore his only luggage was a handful of clothing and his passport, salvaged from the upturned wreck of his 10metre boat. The boat, the Cloud, valued about $20,000, and about $3OO in cash, were all lost.

Because the partly submerged vessel was considered a hazard to shipping, Mr Gagne agreed that it should be sunk. As he sailed away in the Kerri-M, the Apollo performed this unpleasant task by ramming the upturned boat. The gale struck the Cloud 15 days out from Fiji on her way to New Zealand. Mr Gagne took in all sail and ran out sea anchors. The wind continued for two days, and during the afternoon of the second day a “rogue” wave lifted the Cloud and capsized her.

“I was down in the cabin reading a book when she went over. My first thought was ‘My God, I’m doomed,’ but then I realised that she was a wooden boat, and would not sink.” With the cabin half-full

of water, and the ceiling now the floor. Mr Gagne set about trying to find some living space. He gathered some dry clothing and a mattress into a forward compartment and used the reverse side of a bunk as a base for his mattress.

After two days of lying in semi-darkness with the storm raging outside Mr Gagne felt the gale abate. He crawled aft and punched a hole through the hull. He found the hole was about Im above the water-line, and subject to spray. This was to be his lookout for the next 15 days. In it he knelt hour after hour, scanning the horizon and reading the Bible. Food and water were two of his most immediate concerns. He scrabbled around the water-filled cabin and found dry' beans and rice. To conserve his meagre water supply, down to about 23 litres, he mixed his beans and rice with about equal parts of fresh water and sea water, and ate the mixture raw. Although he had salvaged a small alcohol stove, he was unable to light it because his matches were wet. Later he solved this by igniting a flare, and by keeping a kerosene lamp and candles lit he was able to cook some of his food.

On the sixth day he saw his first ship, but his flares received no acknowledgement. That day, however, he had some luck. He fashioned a spear from his knife and a piece of railing and speared one of several large fish swimming in the cabin.

After further rummaging he discovered a good stock of flares, and fired some of these in the next 10 days to try to attract the attention of another four ships he saw. On the tenth day he sighted the Three kings Islands light, and his hopes of rescue rose. But after two days of drifting around the islands the wind changed, and he drifted away from land. He saw no other ships until the sixteenth day. “This rusty old tramp steamer sailed to within about 300 m of me. I fired off six or seven flares. 1

banged on old pots and pans and blasted out S.O.S. in morse code on an .on by. She never saw me. I'm sure nobody was on watch.” Mr Gagne said his hopes of being saved then hit an all time low. “I didn't really despair then; 1 thought ‘Oh Lord, don't you want me to be saved''” On Sunday, the seventeenth day since the boat capsized. he sighted a large fishing boat, but before he could set off his flare a helicopter from the boat, the Apollo, flew over for a closer look. “I popped off a flare and waved and waved.” he said.

The Apollo closed with the Cloud and called up the Kerri-M, on her way from ’he United States to Nelson, to take Mr Gagne on board.

Mr Gagne was in excellent health when he arrived in Nelson, although troubled by a swollen left knee. He also admitted to having to flush out his kidneys with gallons of cold water after he boarded the Kerri-M. He was down to his last food rations and about three cups of water when rescued.

He was unstinting in his praise for the crews of the Apollo and the Kerri-M and very appreciative of the keen eye of the helicopter pilot who spotted the drifting wreck. From sea-level this was very hard to see.

Mr Gagne said he had done a lot of ocean sailing, however this was the first long voyage he had made single-handed. lite first person he called on in Nelson yesterday was Mrs Eileen Perriam. of Tahunanui. Mrs Perriam and her husband. who run the Arcadia 'Motels, handed to Mr Gagne one of the motel cards when they met him in a basket shop in Tonga recently, and asked him tn stay with them when he reached Nelson. Strangely, the card was among the few papers he retained from the boat. Mrs Perriam wa* surprised to see him arrive in so unorthodox a fashion, but her welcome was no lets warm.