TWO MEN RESCUED

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 7, 10 January 1938, Page 10

TWO MEN RESCUED

YACHT CAPSIZES

TIMELY LIFEBOAT DRILL

(By I'eleEi-apli—Press Association.)

CHRISTCHURCH, This Day.

Helplessly drifting out to the open sea on the bottom of their overturned yacht, two young men, P. Vivian and P. Osborne, were rescued by the Sumner lifeboat from a perilous plight at 10.30 a.m. yesterday at the height ol a sudden south-west squall.

Bound for Lyttelton, they left Kairaki at 7.30 a.m. in the Dolphin, aa Idle Along class boat, in mild easterly weather: On getting, to sea over the Waimakariri bar the Dolphin was struck by an unexpected north-west gale, which drove it down the coast. It was too rough to attempt a landing at Sumner,, and skilfully navigating their tiny craft in the crazy sea, Vivian and Osborne reached Taylor's Mistake just as the wind changed violently to the south-west. At 10.10 a.m. the mainsheet was torn from their control and the yacht capsized. Both men were able to cling to the upturned boat. In the forlorn hope of attracting attention a shirt was waved, and to the great surprise of both the Sumner lifeboat turned up in a few minutes.

Fortunately the crew of the lifeboat had been assembled for their regular practice when the Dolphin was passing Sumner Bay, and scenting possible trouble the skipper decided to follow the yacht into Taylor's Mistake. Rounding Whitewash Heads in a biting gale, the lifeboat missed the sails of the yacht, but saw a speck in the churned waters about a mile from Boulder Bay. In ten minutes the lifeboat was alongside, the exhausted men being taken aboard. As the yacht would not tow in the heavy sea, it was pulled partly aboard the lifeboat and brought in in that manner.