Crash site searched

Press, 28 February 1981, Page 6

Crash site searched

NZPA-Reuter Manila Rescuers resumed searching the South China Sea yesterday where a United States transport aircraft crashed on Thursday with a feared death toll of 23, including two New Zealanders. There was only one known survivor from the crash of the C-130, which was carrying personnel from the United States, Australia, the Philippines and New Zealand on a joint exercise. Rescuers recovered six bodies and at dawn yesterday continued the search tor the missing 17, said a United States Navy spokesman. . . ~ The naval authorities said initially that 16 bodies had been found but later amended the figure to six.

The 23 were made up of two New Zealanders, ■ two Filipinos, three Austrai lians and 16 United States I naval and air force person- ; nel. The New Zealanders i were Warrant Officer R. D. • Hayward and Sergeant D. M. Terry. : The survivor was a crew : member, First Lieutenant i Jeffrey Blohm, of Hamburg, New York, who was in hospital in a critical condition. He was found on a beach after swimming from the . crash site 3km off-shore just ■ north-west of the United ■ States Naval Base at Subic Bay, 80km north-west of Manila. The transport was flying . at low level soon after takeoff from Subic Bay and an • investigation is being helf into the cause of the crash.