FISHERMEN DROWNED

Greymouth Evening Star, 1 October 1930, Page 5

FISHERMEN DROWNED

IN WELLINGTON HARBOUR LAUNCH WRECKED BY GALE [pee peess association.] WELLINGTON, October 1. Three men lost their lives when a fishing launch was driven ashore, in an inlet, just past Ohiro Bay, during a southerly storm, last night. The engine had failed apparently in the middle of the afternoon, and the gale blew the vessel from Cook Strait toward the shore. Desperate efforts were made by the skipper to prevent the launch approaching the .rocky coast, but the position grew worse from eight o’clock onwards. Rockets were sent up at regular intervals. The Nelson ferry steamer Arahura. was signalled from the shore, and turned in to the small vessel’s assistance. She stood in close, but could do nothing. One man was recovered later in an exhausted condition, but no trace was found of the other three. So far as could he found out last, night, the names of those lost were: —

JOE HEBERLEY. JIMMY PERANO. MAGNUS HUNTER.

All wore single, boarding at Island Bay. The two former are understood to belong to Picton.

The fishing launch left Island Bay at six o'clock yesterday morning to fish, in Cook Strait. The wind was strong and the engine broke down, apparently between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. Although the survivor is not fit to describe his experiences it seems that Heberley, when things were growing worse, used a sea anchor in the attempt to prevent disaster. Even the sea anchor must have failed for the drift continued. Early in the evening rockets began to be sent up regularly. Meanwhile, the Arahura left Wellington at 7.30 p.m. She was signalled from Island Bay by those who had seen what a desperate situation the launch was in. The ferry steamer abandoned her course, and turned in toward where the small vesesl was fighting for her life. The Arahura (then circled and put to sea again, to signal for assistance. The ferry boat came in extremely near to the dangeious lee shore, but could not get any closer. , „ , Attempts were made by fishermen to send out a rescue party from the shore, but the efforts proved of little use. They had a terribly difficult task Thev managed however, to find a survivor, who was taken to a nearby house for attention. No trace was found of the three missing men, but smashed pieces of the launch have been washed up on the rocks.

SURVIVOR’S NARRATIVE.

THE DRIFT TO DISASTER.

WELLINGTON, October 1. The survivor of the launch tragedy was Ai •thur Hodgman, 18, of Island In an interview, he said that the Arahura was at one time only thirty or forty yards away, but the close proximity of the shore prevented those on board from reaching the fishermen. The launch Crescent was converted into a whale chaser, about 42ft long, with 45 h.p. engine. After the engine failed, all efforts to start, it. failed, owing to the battery having run down. The anchor was down only a short time when the rope parted, and al lowed the boat to drift helplessly. The sea anchor was rigged and thown overboard, but it failed to check the boat’s leeway. At dark flares were lighted to attract attention ashore. They managed to get a grappling between Sinclair Head and the run-around, and this held for a while. The Arahura saw the flares and turned in, but by that time the launch was too close inshore for the steamer to reach her. Seas were dashing over the launch. When he lighted the flare, he could see the Arahura’s stern quite plainly, but the lee shore gave th? Arahura no hope of bridging the gap. Heberly then cut the line to see if the ebb tide would carry the launch off shore but. it drifted in still further. Then a huge, sea struck it broadside, and it capsized. “We were all thrown into the sea. Heberly was trying to keep Hunter up. lie could not. swim. We had buoys off the lines. The last I saw of Heberly and Hunter, they were struggling together in the water. I saw no sign of Perano. That was about eleven o’clock.”

Hodgman was washed ashore and rescued, after clinging to a rock for about ten minuts. Hodgman hails from Kaikoura.

N.S. WALES VICTIMS.

SYDNEY, September 30

A fishing launch capsized at Ballina, on attempting to cross the bar in defiance of the pilot’s danger signals. The crew of four Danes were thrown into the sea. Two were drowned. The captain and another were rescued in a state of collapse, and were admitted to tiie hospital.