HARBOUR TRAGEDY

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 October 1930, Page 10

HARBOUR TRAGEDY

ARDUOUS RESCUE. [PEE PRESS ASSOCIATION.! WELLINGTON, October 1. Hodgman, the survivor of the launch tragedy collapsed this morning. X then taken to the hospital, where he is making a recovery. A search was continued Mill day without avail for the three disappeared when the launch capsiz ed The details of the lost men are as f ° Joseph Heberley, aged 23 gle, skipper of the launch, son of Mr and Mrs Arthur Heberley, of Oys Bay, Tory Channel. James Perano, single, aged 26 years, son of William Perano, of Picton. llagnuß Hunter, eiMle, aged 22 years. He originally came with h brothers from the Shetland Isles, where his father now Hode . The only survivor is Arthur Hoag man, aged 18 years, whose home is at Kaikoura. He is suffering from shock and the effects of swallowing a large quantity of sea water. Magnus Hunter was one of twin brothers, the other being a carpenter His brother, John Hunter, lives at Paremata. He was a member of the crew of the Norma, which was wrecked off Wellington Heads about three years ago. Both of Hunters brothers were on the beach following the capsizing of the launch, and were therefore, some hours in the hope that their brother would be saved. Magnus Hunter was the only one of the four on the launch who could not swim, and, according to tne story of the survivor, Hodgman, Heberley might have saved his own life by swimming to the rocks, had he not taken hold of Hunter in an endeavour to bring him through the surf to the rocks. Every one of the Scottish fisher folk at Island Bay went out to the scene of the disaster to give all the heip they could, and they took great risks in their endeavours to save the men on board the launch. Several of them roped themselves together, with Peter Isbister at the head of the line, and just behind him John Tait. They caught a glimpse of the launch just as a tremendous comber caught it broadside on and capsized it. For a few seconds they could see Hodgman clinging to the gunwale, while the other three were on the outer side. They were flung off the launch, which was then caught in another huge avalanche of water, and smashed with terrific force on to the rocks. „ “It was smashed to smithereens,” said Peter Isbister. “I then caught sight of Hodgman, who was lying on a rock a few yards away. I managed to swim across and got hold of him by the shoulder. He was exhausted, and barely conscious. I caught hold of him by the shoulder -and said: ‘You’re safe now, old man!’ He replied ‘Thank God!’ and collapsed. We were then pulled back by the other men on the rope.”

Tait said that he saw one of the other men on the top of a wave, which swept him back in the current, and nothing more was seen of any of them after that.