LAUNCH RETURNS
BY AIR WHITE ISLAND TRIP SAFE AT WHAKATANE The search for the missing launch. Aio, overdue since Sunday night on a fishing trip from Opotiki, ended at 8 a.m. to-day when the small vessel, with a party of 17 aboard, sailed into Whakatane. The Aio, the Opotiki pilot boat owned by Mr. F. Mokomoko, left for a day's fishing at White Island. 40 miles out in the Bay of Plenty, at 5 a.m. on Sunday morning. Rough weather developed during the day and the bars at the harbour entrances to Opotiki and Whakatane became impassable. A Catalina flying boat was sent out from Auckland yesterday afternoon and searched the area for an hour before visibility made further search by air useless. Three launches were seen to be sheltering at Whale Island, off Whakatane. Two of them accounted for, but it was not known whether the third was the Aio. This moyning the Catalina resumed the search and was assisted by a Hudson. There was some difficulty experienced in contacting the Hudson when the message recalling the searchers was first sent at about 8 a.m. and the crew did not acknowledge the receipt of the message until 8.55 a.m. The area searched by the aircraft was from Tauranga to the Motu River mouth and out to White Island.
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Bibliographic details
Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22288, 25 March 1947, Page 6
Word Count
219LAUNCH RETURNS Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22288, 25 March 1947, Page 6
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