Six escape death
PA Whangarei Six people escaped when their boat was swamped and overturned by a big wave on the Waipu bar. They spent nearly an hour in the water before being rescued by three other boats, the Waipu policeman, Constable Tony Picketts, and local residents.
The alarm was raised by a resident who was watching the runabout cross the Waipu River bar. He saw it struck by a couple of freak waves and roll over.
Constable Picketts and Mr Peter Knowles quickly took a boat to the area.
“One of them was on the beach and the others were
hanging on to each other in the water,” Constable Picketts said. “We were able to help them out.” The Fiona, a six-metre boat with an inboard engine is owned by Mr John Birchall, a Waipu farmer. With him in the boat were his wife and 11-year-old son Shane, his brother, Brice, and nephew Ross, aged 16 of Rotorua, and Mr Bill Johnson of Australia. They were on a fishing expedition. “We were going out across the bar when we took a freak wave through the windshield,” said Mr Birchall. “It! put the motor out and the| next wave swamped the! boat.”
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Press, 31 August 1977, Page 11
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202Six escape death Press, 31 August 1977, Page 11
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