Lionheart finding

Press, 13 October 1983, Page 6

Lionheart finding

PA Whangarei The seven crew members of the yacht Lionheart II drowned when the yacht foundered at the entrance of Whangaroa Harbour, the Whangarei Coroner, Mr Christopher Kennedy, found yesterday. Mr Kennedy said in the Coroner’s Court at Whangarei that the main cause of death in each case was drowning.

The skipper of Lionheart 11, Mr Grant Stapleton, gave evidence on the events that led up to the sinking of the yacht on June 6. He said that the yacht had asked for assistance from the fishing vessel Quo Vadis and had been trying to rendezvous with it when the yacht struck a rock.

The seas were calmer than in the previous days when there were 50-knot winds and 25m waves. Lionheart must have hit a submerged rock, but at the time he could not see any land, Mr Stapleton said. After striking, a large wave broke over the yacht’s

beam and it rolled on to its starboard side, he said. “I was trapped in the wreckage by my safety line. I came up for air three times. Then another wave washed the wreckage away,” said Mr Stapleton.

He came ashore on a beach and then called out to see if anyone else had got away, he said. A crew member, Rosemary Mary Mclntosh, replied. She was trapped by her safety line in waist-high water with waves breaking over her.

Mr Stapleton said he went out to her and brought her back to the beach, dragging her over the rocks.

“By the time we got to shore, she had stopped breathing,” said Mr Stapleton.

He then went to get help.

The seven crew members who died were: Julie Lorraine Andrews, Cameron Edgar Birdsall, Russell John Cochrane, Geoffrey Peter Collins, Andrew John Hitchcock, Rosemary Mary Mclntosh and Robert Mclaren Morris.

Mr Kennedy commended the crew of the Quo Vadis for their bravery in putting to sea to help Lionheart, and the police for doing such a splendid job in carrying out a difficult and distressing task.