RESCUED FROM THE SEA
CAPSIZE OF SAILING CRAFT SMART WORK BY MOTORBOAT CREW Dominion Special Service. Christchurch, December 28. A thrilling rescue of the two occupants of .a sailing boat, which capsized at the mouth of the Waimakarlri and drifted out to sea, was effected yesterday by a small outboard motor-boat, states the "Sun.” The tide was running out fast and there was a strong wind when the boat capsized. It had soon drifted well out to sea and the occupants were in a very perilous predicament. Fortunately, however, their plight was noticed by three men in a small outboard motor-boat who were fishing at the mouth of the river. These three men immediately stripped off their gumboots and fishing coats, and ser their boat full speed for the capsized craft, which was a long way out to sea.
When they reached it there was a very heavy sea, and the rescuers’ boat shipped a good deal of water in her dash through the breakers. They had an anxious few minutes at one stage, when one of the spark plugs went out of commission temporarily through getting wet. A sea carried the motor-boat right on to the capsized craft, to the side of which the yachtsmen were clinging. The yachtsmen were rescued and their boat was then taken in tow on its side by the motor-boat.
After about two hours it was towed into the lagoon at the mouth of the river and rescued and rescuers landed. The current was too strong for anyone to have swum ashore, and the sea was so heavy that without the outboard motor the rescuers could not have reached the capsized boat. The accident occurred at almost the same place as where two years ago a” boat with two fishermen capsized and one was drowned. It is thought that the reason for the sailing boat capsizing is that she was carrying too much sail. She was a brand new American Marconi rigged boat launched for the first time yesterday. There is little doubt that but for the presence of the motor-boat at the mouth at the time of the mishap, and- its promptitude in effecting a rescue, there would have been a double fatality. •
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Bibliographic details
Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 81, 29 December 1928, Page 6
Word Count
370RESCUED FROM THE SEA Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 81, 29 December 1928, Page 6
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