SKYROCKET WAS MISTAKEN FOR DISTRESS SIGNAL

Greymouth Evening Star, 4 October 1949, Page 4

SKYROCKET WAS MISTAKEN FOR DISTRESS SIGNAL

A rocket bursting in the sky, southwest of Greymouth- on Saturday evening had police officers and fishermen from Hokitika to Westport stand-ing-by for’ more than an hour in readiness t<j send craft to the rescue of any ship' which might be in difficulties. The alarm, however, proved to be false.; The cause was a rocket sent aloft by children playing near the beach at Taramakau. When the'rocket burst, some Greymouth residents communicated with the police. They were under the impression that a distress signal had been fired by a vessel in difficulties at sea somewhere between Greymouth and Hokitika. . Investigations, carried out immediately, revealed that no member of the Greymouth fishing fleet was at sea, and subsequent inquiries disclosed that' no ships were missing either' from Westport or from Hokitika. ‘ \ In the meantime, before the police were completely satisfied that there was no emergency, the masters of two Greymouth fishing vessels “stood by” ready to man one, The Coaster, in the event of a fescue being required. It was not until 9.50 that it was discovered that the cause of the alarm was an over-powerful rocket lit during an impromptu fireworks display staged by Taramakau children. Fireworks have become more readily available in Greymouth shops recently,'but obviously the sight of skyrockets bursting during the evening is still a novelty to many people after their complete. absence throughout the war years, and their comparative scarcity since then.