TRAWLER SINKS OFF LYTTELTON AFTER STRIKING ROCK

Grey River Argus, 11 March 1948, Page 4

TRAWLER SINKS OFF LYTTELTON AFTER STRIKING ROCK

Eight Men Aboard Ail Rescued

(F'.A.) CHRISTCHURCH March 10 The Lyttelton steam trawler Cowan struck Port Levy Rock about 9.30 o’clock last evening, filled rapidly and sank. The master, Captain George Mouncer, and the crew of seven were all rescued. Tne s.s. Cowan, of 67 tons gross, was returning to Lyttelton from the fishing grounds.

Captain Mouncer said the Cowan was nearing Port Levy Rock when the signalman at Adderley Head called nim by morse lamp, a.king for the name of the vessel, which was given.

About a minute later the Cowan struck.

Cap lain Mouncer at once called Adderley Head, but water reached the. dynamo, and all the lights failed. The engine was still working, so he turned the vessel with the intention of beaching her in Starvation Bay. “Some of the men were clearing away the lifeboat,” said Captain Mouncer. "but the ship suddenly heeled over and sank. There were three men in the boat, but the rest of us were in the water, with the exception of W. Willman, junior, who had jumped on to the rock when we struck. I was dragged down with the shin, but got clear. I thought I would never come up. When 1 reached the surface I saw the lifeboat being rowed round and men in the water were calling to one another. We were all picked up, and beached the boat in Starvation Bay.” Captain Mouncer and three of the men then rowed to Little Port Cooper where the Harbour Board signalmen live. They picked up Willman juniot from the rock on the way. They arrived about midnight and telephoned to Lyttelton for a launch. A launch left Lyttelton at 12.30 a.m and went to Little Port Cooper and picked up Captain Mouncer and the four men, and took the lifeboat in tow. The launch then went to Starvation Bay—a small inlet with towering cliffs on three sides, which made the darkness still darker. On the tiny shingle beach, the three men who had been left there, naa lit a big fire. Guided by this, the lifeboat went in and brought the men out to the launch, which then returned ,o Lyttelton, arriving there at 3.5 a.m.

Mr W. Willman senior, trawling master of the Cowan, was atoaid the fishing launch Dolphin, which, early in the war was sunk by mistake by a shot fired from the gu" at Battery Point in Lyttelton harbour

At low tide to-day there was no sign of the Cowan. The possibilities of salvaging the vessel are now being considered.

A preliminary inquiry into the loss of .he s.s. Cowan will be held by Captain G. P. Evans, Government Marine Superintendent at Lyttelton, who will report to the Marine Department in Wellington.