Holmes battles to escape wreckage

Press, 26 June 1989, Page 1

Holmes battles to escape wreckage

PA Gisborne Still showing the strain of the helicopter crash that appears to nave claimed the life of one of his television crew, the broadcaster, Paul Holmes, described how he fought to free himself from a helicopter cabin in icy waters on Saturday evening. Just after speaking to members of the missing cameraman’s family, who arrived at Gisborne Airport yesterday morning, Mr Holmes boarded a chartered flight back to Auckland. He said the first he knew anything was wrong was when there was “an almighty crash” and the next thing the helicopter went down. “We were all trapped in the helicopter cabin full of water. There was no realisation of the water rushing in. It just suddenly seemed to be there,” he said. "I struggled to get out of my seat belt. None of us knew what the other was doing. We were all swimming round in the cabin.” Having escaped from the

cabin, they decided to make for shore. At some stage they lost contact with the missing man, whom the police have named as Joe Van Dinklage, aged 28, of Auckland. During the swim for shore, the producer, David Lomas, who is a strong swimmer, went to the aid of Mr Van Dinklage and “held on to him for a long time.” The others continued to swim for shore, calling to each other all the time and encouraging each other to keep going. “I am not a strong Swimmer. I was dog-paddling,” Mr Holmes said. He said it was tremendously cold and.time seemed to have no meaning. Eventually he felt seaweed and realised they had reached shore. They set off towards where they thought they had seen lights. This was something of a gamble. They were all extremely cold, shocked and sick. Finally they reached the Anaura Bay farm of Mr and Mrs

Rob Shanks. Mr Holmes said the Shanks were marvellous, making cups of tea and sandwiches and finding them a change of clothes. He thought the group swam about a kilometre and were in the water for perhaps an hour. It would have taken possibly another hour to walk to the farm. The crew were returning from Te Rahui marae, Tikitiki, where they had attended a hui for the new Gisborne district police commander, Superintendent Rana Waitai. In the Jet Ranger helicopter were the pilot, Mr Tony Brice, of Gisborne, Mr Holmes, Mr Lomas, a sound recordist, Mr Wayne Johnson, of Auckland, and Mr Van Dinklage. Senior-Sergeant Adrian Straayer said the helicopter crashed about 5.30 p.m. and the men reached the Shanks property about 7.30 p.m. The helicopter went down into Anaura Bay about 70km north of Gisborne.