YACHTING DISASTER

Greymouth Evening Star, 30 November 1925, Page 5

YACHTING DISASTER

THREE LIVES LOST.

SUDDEN STORM’S HAVOC.

(Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.)

MELBOURNE, November 29.

The opening of the sailing season by the Hobson’s Bay Yacht dub was marked with a disaster resulting in thi’ee deaths. The weather was fine until towards the close of the day when a suuden fierce storm swept' the bay, and caught a large yacht,' acting as flagship upon which many people were viewing the regatta, causing her to heel heavily. Four prominent residents of Williamstown, John Dennis, ex-M'ayor, licensee of the Customs Houte. Hotel, and his wife, and Mt and Mrs Ward, drapers, were swept from the cockpit. , Dennis was rescued in an -exhausted condition.'- Mrs Dennis, aged fifty, Mr Ward and his wife, both sixty-two, were later picked up. Efforts to resuscitate were continued foi' a couple of hours, but were futile, all three being dead. Other yachts reefed sails and were brought in through the storm by motor boats. LATER.

The yacht, carrying thirty people, wfts struck by the storm. The crew were taken unawares, ; and the boat heeled over dangerously, several! passengers being precipitated into tlte water, but owing to the skilfulhandling of the boat there was no nanic. Although those thrown overboard were in the water fifteen "’mites, all efforts at resuscitation by the use of oxygen failed. The victims will be given a public funeral. _ ; '

TASMANIAN DROWNED.

HOBART, November 30.

While yachting in the Derwont River, Richard Whittington, a prominent member of the Royal Yacht Club Tasmania, and a skilfull rifle shot, •va-s swept overboal*d by a sudden squall and drowned.