DRAMA IN SURF

Hokitika Guardian, 5 January 1933, Page 8

DRAMA IN SURF

THIRTEEN 'MEN MEET THEIR FATE WATCHERS POWERLESS TO HELP. LONDON, December 28. - Before the eyes of people asho.sr, who Mere pjw©rleis to give hup, 15 Dntis-i. tra.wieruien perished miserably, -a low ueeas ago L. a dreadful gai© trageuy oh' tlie Uttl e port of BreiviKo.’houi, i*i the extreme north of '.Norway. Caught m one of the wo rot storms that have swept this co;ut within Dving memory, the Golden De?ps was compelled to reek shelter off rSieivn.ishotn. arrived oil tue port dur.ng <a temporary lull and dropped both anchors in order to ricte out the g a ‘ 3 . Alter she had found a seemingly good aodiorage, th e skipper, C-ptain 'iNorman Rodgers, and two passengers, Reginald j Beales and Valentine Baker, went) ashore. One passenger was the son of the owner of the vessel, and the oil.'-r a fish merchant. Annosi. immediately a fterward, the storm broke again with renewed fury, and the tru.v.ler, dragging her 'anchor.:, was quickly swept into dangerous surf. Vvhile th e ci’ew were making frantic .efforts to " t out new anchors the vessel suddenly heeled over in the foaming water. The next moment, th e trawler wa s lifted oat of. the b.bakers and hurled ashore, but directly afterward she was sucked back again into the surf. Spectators on shore saw her disappear beneath the M’aves only the top.? of the nißst. s and funi.'il being visible for a a few moments. Some of tile crew could be seen clinging to rigging until they wer e swapt away by the raging seas ; others tried in vain to sw'm asho. e. So mountainous Wfi'e the waves that no assistance could be given from the shore, although Captain Rodgers and a party of men made valiant attempts at rescue, ibe spectators could only look on helpless while the victims, on'_> by one, event to their doom. Latei the bodies of twelve members of the crew were washed asho:a.’ When the gale subsided the trawler was found lying in fiv<e fathoms of water. .V, a .result of the disaster eight women were widowed and ninie children were orphaned in the Grimsby and Cleethorpes districts. First-en"irber t Grant wa.s to ' have been married on his return .from sea t« Miss' Gi’ndys Blackman, of Cleethorpea. Already th e bridal veil had bec-n bought.