PEARLER’S ORDEAL

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 November 1932, Page 4

PEARLER’S ORDEAL

FOUR DAYS IN OPEN BOAT. PERTH, November 4. After Arthur Jones, a pearler, had spent four days in a small dinghy without food and water and with only a, broken oar to steer with, lie reached land near Shark Bay. and some days later was found by searchers in a. motor launch. On Monday, October 28, Jones, whose partner had gone to Denham, decided to do some fishing, and, having reached suitable spot, anchored his dinghy. Later a, strong south-west gale blew up. and ho decided to return ashore, but. when ho went, to pull up the anchor he found the line had parted and the dinghy had dritfed out to sea. He then tried to scull back to shore, but in the heavy sea his oar broke. ByTuesday th shore was out of sifiht, and on Wednesday Jones was suffering severely from hunger, thirst and exposure. Near daylight, on Friday he took soundings with his fishing line, and found a, depth of two fathoms. At dawn ho discovered the ride was carrying the boat into a thick mangrove growth.

Weak and exhausted, Jones staggered on to the beach, became delirious, and did not regain consciousness until sunset. While searching for food ho found another dinghy, in which wore some petrol cans of water. This water ,i < e\(.(i .; t hirst, and he rolled himself in seaweed and spent Saturday in delirium and sleep.

Oil. Sunday, finding Ins strength re"‘ent, in search of food. • '.ad tound a tew sand crabs and wattle beans. That, afternoon a searching a.ci up.:auc passed overhead, but. his frail -:c attempts to attract attention were unavailing. On waking next morning he saw a. launch anchored, and, as the

tide was low, he started waUcng out towards It. He was seen by those aboard, and picked up. In the launch was his brother-in-law, Constable Wrigley, who was returning to Shark t ! ;.y from Carnarvon to search for the lost man.