LAUNCH TRAGEDY

Evening Star, Issue 25071, 12 January 1944, Page 2

LAUNCH TRAGEDY

THREE MEN DROWNED SPRINGS LEAK IN TERAWHITj RIP ONE SURVIVOR'S SEVEN-HOUR ORDEAL (P.A.) * NELSON, January 12. Three men, all of Wellington, are ' believed to have been drowned when the pleasure launch Warrigal, bound from Tory Channel to Wellington, sprang a leak in Terawhiti rip and sank. One survivor was picked up by the ferry steamer Matangi after he had been over seven hours in the water, clinging to a partially-submerged dinghy. Those missing are :

W. Nesbit, a married man, of Lower Hutt, director of vocational training for disabled soldiers.

E. W. It. Haldane, solicitor, Lower Hutt, a married manj with one son. . R. I. M. Sutherland, aged 38, a solicitor, of Wellington, married, with two daughters. The rescued man is Tasman G. Taylor, aged 39. a solicitor, a married man, with two children, of 32 Belvedere road, Hataitai, Wellington. The launch left Tory Channel yesterday morning, and: soon struck heavy seas. The boat sprang a leak and sank quickly at 2.45 o'clock in the afternoon. Haldane was last seen clinging to a lifebelt. The other three clung desperately to the dinghy, which was awash, but after about an hour Nesbit disappeared, and about' an. hour later Sutherland, who was apparently suffering badly from cold, was carried away by a huge wave. Taylor maintained his grip on the dinghy until at about 10 o'clock at night he saw the lights of a passing : steamer. It was very dark, but with the assistance of the wind which was blowing towards the Matangi (on its way to Nelson), he managed to make bis voice heard. He was thrown a line, and with the assistance of two men from the. Matangi, was pulled aboard, given ' treatment, and brought to Nelson, where he was admitted to the public hospital for treatment.

Ho was stated to be in good condition to-day and was expected to be able to return to Wellington to-night. The lower part of his- body is badly bruised, but he- has not suffered seriously from exposure. STORY/OF THE MISHAP.

The story of the mishap was to!d by Taylor this morning at the hospital. " Getting clear of. Tory Channel,, we found clear sailing water for about an hour and a-half. 'We; then ran into wind and heavy sea. The seas were so high that it was impossible, to make any distance towards Wellington,: and we kept ; her head into the weather, out''to sea. The waves, were so high that occasionally the boat slid off their, tops,, and it is to that I attribute the 'mishap. • We made fair time until we reached the first rip, and at 2.25 HalI dane, who was in the -forward cabin,, '<■■ to'd us that wo had sprung a bad leak. The water poured in in. buckets, and, seeing that the boat was doomed, we lashed .together empty oil drums and tied them to the dinghy, and had just completed this when she sank, nose first, at 2.45 o'clock. "We had a bit-of trouble freeing the dinghy as she was going ; down.' When the dinghy came up there were three of us ;clinging to it—Sutherland,: Nesbit, and myself: Haldane had one of the two lifebelts, and was some distance away. The waves'kept breaking over the dinghy,; causing-us to change position as she turned; and with.three of .us hanging on, it was'always.awash or ' under water. . After about ,an hour Nesbit, who had transferred 'his . hold iirom the dinghy to one of the'drums, told \us he could not hang on much longer.. At that time he- was about 20yds from the dinghy. After a short while lie released his hold on the drum. We watched him for a while, but it was difficult on account of. the breakers. When we looked a second time,, he was gone. , " That left Sutherland and myself hanging to the dinghy after two hours, approximately. Sutherland must have been suffering very . badly from the cold, because he found if difficult to retain his hold on the dinghy, and he was unable to talk.

"Twice he lost his grip and I wer.t after him and got him back i with great difficulty. A huge wave broke over the boat and carried us both under. When I came up, he was about 20yds away. He remained on the surface for only a

few moments,, and disappeared. " From sundown onwards I was able to keep my head above water all the time."