Rubber raft likely clue in yacht explosion

Press, 13 July 1985, Page 1

Rubber raft likely clue in yacht explosion

PA Auckland A rubber raft abandoned at a beach on the Auckland waterfront may be linked to the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior, according to the police.

Witnesses say a man came ashore at Okahu Bay in the craft about IVz hours before two explosions sank the Greenpeace protest flagship and killed a crew member on Wednesday night. The Auckland police say the rubber raft may have been seen moving about Mechanics Bay earlier that night, between the Auckland wharves and Okahu Bay. The vessel is a Mark 2 compact Zephyr inflatable raft weighing about 67kg. It is not common in New Zealand and the police want to question anyone owning such a craft. The police confirmed that they were seeking a Frenchman who was aboard the Rainbow Warrior about 8 p.m. on Wednesday. He was unknown to crew members, but stayed briefly. The police have estab-

The insignia on the reverse side of a letter received by several news organisations yesterday. lished that the man left on a flight to Tahiti on the night of the bombing. Interpol has been asked to track him. The Auckland police have declined to give his name or description. In other developments, a letter has been sent to news organisations from a group

calling itself “Better Dead than Red,” which said its members were prepared to use force to prevent a “Lebanon in the Pacific” and seemed to threaten Left-wing groups. It started with the words, “Good luck Rainbow Warrior,” but the police said it was not thought to be a claim for responsibility for the bombing. Detective Superintendent Allan Galbraith said, “We are naturally making inquiries about this. I do not know if you can attach too much significance at the moment to it. I do not think it is a claim as such for responsibility.” He said the police knew of the Better Dead Than Red group. A salvage expert, Captain Warwick Dunsford, said the hull of the Rainbow Warrior had been holed just once—a 1.8 metre by 2.1 metre hole in the starboard side. Other damage aft of the 40-metre trawler involved a fracture in steelwork. Captain Dunsford said it would cost “in six figures” to raise the vessel, and the/ job would take at least two days. While experts differed as to what type of explosive might have been used to sink the Rainbow Warrior, Mr Galbraith said, “That is understandable, because noone has really had a proper look at the vessel underwater.” Two limpet devices had been suggested as the cause of the fatal explosions.