COOK STRAIT TRAGEDY

Greymouth Evening Star, 1 February 1934, Page 5

COOK STRAIT TRAGEDY

MOTOR-BOAT’S CAPSIZE OWNER'S FATAL EXHAUSTION [PEB PBESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, January 31. An attempt by two men in a 50 m.p.h., outboard motor-boat, this evening to make a dash across Cook Strait from Wellington to Picton, a distance of 50 miles, caused considerable anxiety as to the outcome. The boat 16ft at 5 p.m., and it was estimated that the crossing would take an hour and a-quarter. However, at a late hour, nothing had been seen of the motor boat on either side of the. Strait.

Shortly before midnight word was received that a launch had been picked up by the steamer Kiwitea. No details are given; and whether the “launch” is the outboard motor-boat, and whether its occupants are safe, will not be definitely known until the vessel berths at 1.30 a.m.

The two men who attempted the sensational dash are F. W. BarrettWood, of the Melbourne Royal Brighton Yacht Club, and H. Clarke, the owner of the boat. They left Wellington under’ very favourable weather conditions, and with high hopes of setting a new record for the Cook Strait crossing. THREE HOURS IN WATER. WELLINGTON, February 1. The attempt by two men in a high speed motor boat to make the 50-mile dash from Wellington to Picton yesterday evening ended tragically, and resulted in the death of H. Clarke, of Wellington, owner of the boat. With Clarke in the boat was F. W. Barnett Wood of Melbourne, a member of the Royal Brighton Yachting Club. , The Elto left Wellington at 5.15 yesterday afternoon. All Went well until a mishap off Cape Terewhiti caused the craft to capsize shortly after seven o’clock. At 10.25 p.m., the steamer Kiwitea, en route to Wellington heard cries from the overturned boat, which by then had drifted towards The Brothers. Fifteen minutes later the two men were taken aboard the steamer, but Clarke died later. Wood was in an extremely exhausted condition. He had supported Clarke in the water for three hours. The Elto is a light craft, said to be capable of a speed of up to 50 miles an hour.

It had been estimated that the crossing would take about an hour and a-quarter, to an hour and twenty minutes. From the Wellington side, the weather conditions appeared very favourable and the trip was expected to be made speedily and smoothly, and set up a surprise new record in Cook Strait crossing. When news of the non-appearance after several hours’ delay was communicated to Wellington, extensive enquiries were made without any results, until the radio message from the* Kiwitea was received. A competitive touch to the venture was given by the fact that a similar outboard boat driven by Alan Woodman, Commodore of Wellington Outboard Club, was to have accompanied the Elto. The two boats left at the same time, but before the heads were reached, the engine on Woodmans craft developed a defect, and he had to return. Woodman had intended to make the return trip after reaching Picton Barnett Wood arrived in N.Z. recently, on his way to Australia, after two years’ absence, he having visited. Bntain and United States.

SURVIVOR’S HEROISM. ENDEAVOURS COMRADE WELLINGTON, February 1. Clarke, the victim of the Cook Strait speedboat adventure, was unable to swim, and for three hours, Barrett Wood clung to the hull of the> Mis. Wellington, supporting him. Sevrnal times Barrett Wood was forced to leave the craft in order to regain a hold' on his companion, and when at last his calls for asistance were heard aboard the Kiwitea, he was in a state of extreme exhaustion and Clarke v-as unconscious. , . The boat had just passed through two “rips” before trouble was experienced, and the craft drifted into a third, out of control, and the seas began filling her. In a short time she sank, and the men were left clinging to the hull. The Nelson ferry steamer Matangi passed in the darkness, the cries of the distressed men failing to The failure of the boat to arrive at Picton caused anxiety, and four broadcast announcements were made from 2YA between 8.15 and' 10 p.m. The accident occurred shortly after sev . The broadcasts were heai d on board the Kiwitea, and a watch was being kept for the boat. At 10.25 the ™ a ® Captain Grey, heard cries, and the boat was eventually located in turbulent water, with darkness descending. Barrett Wood’s ordeal was added to by the fact that a shark was cruising about. No attacks were made, and by splashing the man kept it atai dis tance. They were wearing lifebelts, but Wood had to keep a grip on his companion to prevent him being washed away. Several times this happened, and Wood had to bring him back. The shock resultant from the mersion was too much for Clarke, however, and he was dead before being lifted aboard the Kiwitea. The spot was midway between TIK Brothers and Karori Rock lights. Miss Wellington was a 16-foot outboard motor-boat, driven by a 45 h.p. engine. She belonged to Wood, and carried a spare engine.

HOW UPSET OCCURRED. Another attempt was planned to cross the Strait, that of Woodman, as telegraphed yesterday. Although not keen to make the trip, Woodman was prepared to do so in order that the local man might have the honour of completion of the feat. He went out to Makara, but was advised not to go, as the conditions along the coast were not good. He returned to Wellington, and, in the afternoon, was trying out a speedboat in Evans Bay, when the Miss Wellington left. Thinking she perhaps was going to Petone, Woodman set out to follow her, but he he saw her rounding Point Halswell he turned back. When he did so, he hoped to show the occupants of Miss .Wellington that he did not intend to

make the crossing, an impression they might have gained by the fact he followed the boat. Had he been able to do so he would have advised the others to abandon the attempt, as ho had himself already done. He thinks the trouble that brought about the sinking of Miss Wellington was that the engine driving the craft made the boat’s speed too high to navigate the rip. Barret Wood, interviewed, stated this afternoon that when the boat got into the third rip, the water breaking aboard caused the engine to cut out, and the after cockpit filled with water. They got on to the bow and tried to paddle the boat head into the wind, but the breaking waves caused her to capsize. He attempted twice to swim to Terawhiti, but turned back both times, owing to exhaustion and seas. Clarke was all right for the first hour, but after that became slightly delirious, and the coming of the shark completed the nervous exhaustion.