ADRIFT IN A BOAT

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 August 1920, Page 8

ADRIFT IN A BOAT

FOODLESS AND EXHAUSTED. FISHERMEN’S NARROW ESCAPE. In a famished and exhausted con li lion after having spent four days in a motor launch drittmg helplessly at the mercy of the w.nd and sea, three fishermen were rescued by tlie pilot steamer Captain Cook (Sydney) on Saturday, J uly 10.

The party left Woolloomooloo in a small motor launch on Tuesday morning for Manly. Later they proceeded to Terr'gal, where the vessel was hove to and anchored for the night. After fishing, the following morning they set out for Sydney, but when about six miles off the Macquarie light the engine broke down. The launch drifted away from the land. When darkness set in the efforts to repair the engine had been futile. When Thursday dawn ed there was not much more thru a quart of water left. The position was becoming most serious for the fishermen, and in addition to redoubling their efforts to repair the engine they kept a lookout for any passing vessels. Several ships were sighted, but apparently they not not observe the launch's signals. On Friday the engine was set working again, but only a couple of miles had been covered when the petrol ran out, and the position was more

serious than ever. It was then decided to row the launch to port. This had already been attempted, but the 1 progress made was so poor that it iia I been abandoned. The wind freshened to squally. <nd a nasty swell was running. for eight hours the fishermen kept at the cars. Then the strain became too nun Famished and exhausted, the men were forced to stop. Several steamers were sighted during the day, but th° feverish efforts of the fishermen to attract attention were unsuccessful, and when a rough and - threatening night fell the little vessel was still adrift. The outlook seemed destitute of hope on Saturday morning, and the men j were almost too exhausted to care. But even at this desperate juncture the, sight of smoke on the horizon roused j fresh energies. To attract the attenI tion of the ships all sorts of distress I signals were made, but it seemed as ! though yet another steamer would pass j by. Then suddenly she was seen to | turn, and a delirious ‘shout went up I from those on the launch. The Australrange —for such it proved to he—manoeuvred close alongside, and the launch placed a line, and v r as towed towards port. All now went well until off Sydney Heads when, the tpw rope carried away. The big steamer could not stop, but immediately she arrived the authorities were communicated w'th, and the pilot steamer Oantain Cook was dispatched, and effected a rescue, special in the league line when the game in Auckland.