MID-OCEAN MIRACLE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 16 September 1926, Page 7

MID-OCEAN MIRACLE.

MAN FALLS INTO -SEA UNNOTICED

REMARKABLE RESCUE

The .story, of how a- man overboard was recovered from the midnight waters of the South Atf’ais-tie Ocean, although he .‘was not- reported missing until Ills ..vessel .had ,steamed past him for nearly an hour,, was contained in a concise entry in the log book oil the Norton-Lillv Company's freighter Riplev t ast.'e,’which arrived at the loot of For ty-Seve nth Street, Brook-ly 11 , frum Capetown. South .Africa. "His name was Tony Madison, do years -old. an: American citizen, and he wfts off the ship’s papers as a coal trimmer. Before- lie was re-sixied he was bitten twice by a small fish, probably a. boni'tet, and bad!v frightened by attacks of large sea birds. Although Yhi d waiters dftlrat part of the deeftii are infested 'with sliaiks, none of the- big fish •molested him. The officers of rite weather-beaten 7000-ton cargo vesstel were inclined to legat'd the whole thing as miraculous. “It wa-s ft- true miracle, and the direct work of Providence,” .said the chief officer.; “While 1 -was steaming back toward , the ntan I prayed; and: lie prayed in the water. It w«.s no coincidence that wy rescued- him. Without God’s assistance it- could never have happened.” According to. the- officers- of the Ripley Castle. the boat has a speed of ten knots. Thrt means that she must- liaye travelled nearly ten. miles before she burned back to look for him. It was pitch black, and a fairly heavy ground s’weh was running. In addition, the freighter ivr-s in the. midst of an equatorial current with a. speed' of two knots. This added to the difficulties of setting a course back to him, yet when his cries for assistance were heard he was only a hundred yards a wa v.

According.to the log, -the man, was reported missing at 1.10 a.m.,‘ when the Rip-lev Carte was about 40 miles south c-f t-.’-e- equator. He had been -last-seen at 12.20 a.m.. going on deck from the •junkers.' Captain George Sinclair ■•immediately ordered the ship searched. He then turned -back on her course and •;.i dered f lil steam ahead. At T.oo a faint cry was heard by the chief officer, who was on -the fore-oii-t’.o. He ordered two lifebuoys' equipped with fares thrown- overboard. Madison. struggling in the water. Could lie seen by their /light: - The'steamer was stopped and an accident boat was launched. It was in .charge-, of -the chief officer. At 2.10 Madison was on the freighter’s deck, and the .vessel was again, on'her way. As soon as lie was sufficiently recovered he was. questioned bv the captain. He said lie had felt dizzy while working on ill,, coal bunkers. H e had come up on. deck for air and a drink p?F water. .Vs lie reached out for what he t-honglit was- the turnip handle everything went •back before him. The next thing he knew h, ' is hi tlie water.

Ho could see it-lie freighter steaming away from him, but could no-t slimi-t----loud enough to at-f-iact attention. Hardly had ho been in the water than a small hut ferocious fish hit him oh the right ankle. It then hit him on the left thigh. He. struck it off with his band. A7l tlie time lie was in the water he was attacked hv large sea birds, which mistook him for a dead object,. He had .-.rent, difficulty in keeping, afloat, r.she had not swinn since h ; > was a hoy.