Fisherman adrift for 13 hours

Press, 8 March 1988, Page 1

Fisherman adrift for 13 hours

NEIL CLARKSON

A young Bluff fisherman survived 13 hours adrift in Fouveaux Strait clinging to a lifebelt after his fishing vessel overturned early yesterday. ] Mr Carl Brown, aged 19, of Bluff, was one of three crewmen of the 15m steel-hulled crayfish vessel Linda Marie. i 1 His companions, who are believed drowned, are the skipper, Jack Taunoa “Jackie” Ryan, aged 45, and Michael Alexander Perkins, aged 24] both of Bluff. I I I ip Mr Brown was sighted by the crew of a helicopter about 2 p.m. j The helicopter, which was diverted from another job to join the search, was unable ]to uplift Mr Brown. It had not had the opportunity to land to be fitted with a scoop. | I The helicopter crew guided the flshirig vessel Ayson to the area. It took Mr Brown aboard soon after 2 p.m. I • | ! He arrived at Bluff about 3.30 p.m. and was taken by ambulance to Kew Hospital, where he was last evening interviewed by the police while recovering from hypothermia. Senior-Sergeant Paul Brown said the Linda Marie sailed on Sunday Ito an area ! off the Fiordland coast known as the Knife and! Steels. They tended crayfish pots and about .7 p.m. sailed for Bluff. The last contact with the Linda Marie had been at 8.5 p.m. when Mr Ryan radioed that the vessel was off Longpoint, Te Waewae Bay, and was due at Bluff , about 2 a.m. ] | The Linda Marie was sailing in blustery southwest conditions when the mishap occurred, about 1.5 a.m. (: . ] iI •' “When they got possibly to the south-east of Centre Island the beat got caught in seas and rolled over,” the Senior-Sergeant said. ’ J “The three of them managed to get (out and managed to cling to a lifebelt They tried to kick their way towards the shore. However] about 6.30 a.m. to 7 a.m. the first fellow floated away from the lifebelt. ! i “That was (Mark Perkins. ! "About an hour later Jack Ryan floated off.” Tha police were told about 8 a.m. that the vessel was overdue and the air and sea search began in south-west winds up to 30 knots and a 3m swell. The last aircraft landed about 8 p.m! without finding any trace of the missing pair. Searchers found a diesel slick about Bkm from Centre Island. A helicopter was scheduled to make a .sweep of the coastline in the area at 6 a.m. today.