NIGHT ON BEACON

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 151, 29 June 1938, Page 5

NIGHT ON BEACON

DRY BUT FOODLESS

GALLANT EFFORTS AT

RESCUE

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, June 28. The five men marooned on the Rangitoto beacon were all members of the yard staff of the Auckland Harbour Board. They were Harry Buttcrworth, J. Armiger, F. Newald, M. Bacon, and George Brink. Rcscue was effected by means of a dinghy shortly after noon. The sea had calmcd considerably after a stormy morning. The men climbed down the steel ladder, ran round the foot of the wide base of the beacon, jumped to a rock, and thence into the dinghy. The men were taken to the beacon yesterday morning shortly after 8 o'clock and landed by dinghy from a harbour board launch. Their vvork for the day was to chip and paint the beacon, a job that is carried out at long intervals. When the launch went back for them a heavy sea''was running, and the dinghy would have been dashed to pieces on the jagged rocks that surround the base of the beacon. It was decided to return. later, but at 7 p.m. the sea was still running, so the launch returned to the city. | The harbour board authorities del cided to make no further attempt until this morning, and at 9 o'clock the tug Te Awhina, under command of Captain Probert, and accompanied by the board's launches Orere and Te Hauraki, put out into the channel in the teeth of a strong north-easterly. A strong sea made the voyage to the beacon unpleasant, and spray came up over the tug's superstructure. She arrived within 200 yards of the beacon, which is six and a quarter miles from Auckland, shortly before 10 o'clock and hove to, wallowing heavily .in the trough. The launch Te Hauraki then drew alongside and took on board rockets and life-lines, the intention being to drop a line across the beacon. The marooned men could then draw up a heavier rope to which a breeches buoy could be attached for their rescue. At this point it came on to rain heavily, and the wind became stronger. The launch half-circled the beacon, standing off to the south and approaching to within 70 yards. The rocket gear was rigged, but difficulty was experienced because of the pitching of the boat in the choppy seas. GOOD WORK WITH A DINGHY. After the rockets failed to reach their mark, a dinghy manned by J. Forsyth and Brown, members of the crew, put off from the Te Hauraki. The men daringly pulled in under the very ledge on which the beacn stands and attempted to secure a rope. All round them were black rocks which occasionally showed up in the fierce run of the sea. One ill-timed move and they would have been overturned and battered on the rocks. After 15 minutes of ticklish work they got hold of the rope and rowed back to the launch. A life-line was attached and food procured from the tug sent up. It was then decided to wait until the tide was full out, when the irfen could be taken on board by means of a breeches buoy that had been made ready for use. Shortly before 12 o'clock, however, the rain ceased and the wind died down. As the sea grew calmer it was realised that it would be possible to take the men off by means of a dinghy. This was successfully accomplished. One of the men explained that they had been unable to sleep comfortably as the staircase in the beacon ends in a two-foot ledge. It was on this ledge, luckily sheltered from rain and wind, that they spent the night. They were not cold, as they found some old wood and lit a fire. "We spent our time singing and talking," said one of the party. "Last night we saw the Mariposa and the Aorangi putting out to sea, and we wished ourselves on board and at the dining table. ; All we could think of was food."