Canoe trip to Tonga ‘foolhardy’

Press, 1 June 1985, Page 1

Canoe trip to Tonga ‘foolhardy’

PA Auckland An Auckland boat inspector says it was foolhardy for a missing couple to set off for Tonga in an outrigger canoe. Mr Don Harland, the secretary of the Yachting Federation safety inspectors, said yesterday that no inspector would have cleared the outrigger for the voyage. American-born Mr Doug Brown, aged 64, and his wife, Valerie, aged 33, of Te Puru, left Auckland on May 5 with provisions for a month, an emergency locator beacon and a sextant. They .were expected in Tonga by May 24, but ail that has been heard of them was a note washed up at Great Barrier Island this week. The note, addressed to their children, said, in part . . . “Doug and I are together, not afraid to die. Tm sorry, from Vai and Doug.”

Customs and Ministry of

Transport officers said that Mr Brown’s American citizenship meant that strict New Zealand safety requirements for all boats leaving the country could not be applied to the canoe. Two aircraft searches organised by relatives failed to find any trace in flights round Great Barrier and the Coromandel Peninsula yesterday? The missing couple’s son, Mr Ron Brown, was aboard a light plane at dawn for the first search, covering 1000 square miles off the Coromandel Peninsula coastline. Another son, Mr Doug Brown, took part in a search with his brother-in-law, Mr Larry Benigson, who had flown from Kuala Lumpur with his wife, Cath/ The American couple were in Malaysia on business when they heard of the Browns’ disappearance.