SPEEDBOAT AFIRE

Hokitika Guardian, 7 January 1933, Page 8

SPEEDBOAT AFIRE

SYDNEY harbour, thrill

RESCUE OF OCCUPANTS

A large motor speedboat in Sydney Harbour ; oursu into naiiies on the arterncoii on L'ecfcmner -Jsß. it wuts burned to girls ana a boy were thrown over'•Wd'.'d .to sq-vei ill am from the flames, and tiie ocher two occupants leaded into tlie .humour. Ti.e driver of tile launch was burned severely about the face and hands .and suffered o-reat • i- O pain. All the members ppf the par.y we.o rescued by : Jaunihelsvaiftor icing in the water for about 20 minutes.

The speedboat was the., Rad.ance, o.iiied by Air Bernard Bailey, .a 111-111-b-r of .the Royal Motor Trent ’ O.ub of New South Wales. On hoard were Mr Bailey, Lis son, aged nine, Lis daughter, and her gill friend, both aged 21, as well aw Mr 'George, Barnes. Tne latter wiais diivmg the boat off Chowder Bay about 3 p.n:., when it developed carburetter trouble. It back-fired several times, and the engine Lurst, suddenly into flames. The petrol supply became ig .ited and the flames ro..e to a great height.

CAUGHT IN THE FLAMES. Mr Barnes was caught in the flames, lie made a futile effort to subdue them, but was burned severely about the face and hands. The girls became panic-stricken, and Mr Bailey and Mr. Barnes threw them and the boy out of tlie launch to save them from, tlie flames, which were quickly spreading over the whole of the boat. Air Bailey and. Air Bannes then leaped, into the harbour themselves. The boat, was now a mass of flames. The burning launch was noticed by Air W. Hart, signalman, at the South Head station, who communicated with the pilot steamer, Captan Cbok, which wais. lving at anchor in Ayat-sou’s Bay. Captain Th.ir.lo way, of the pilot steamer, set out to assist the launch. In the meantime other launches on the harbour and. the Manly ferry steamer Curl Curl had noticed the plig' t of the people in the water. The, giHs, who were not good swimmers, ir d the hoy, who. could not swim, we. e beUg supported by Air Bailey and Air Barnes. A lnunch, which wes under sail, rescued them.

ALIGHT FROM END TO. END. Air Barnes, who was suffering severe pain from. Ids burns, was taken on hoard the Captain Cook, which went hack with him to the 'Watson's Bay wharf furiously biowing four, blasts at intervals to indicate that medical assistance \vm required. Air Hart, of the signal station, communicated .'.with a doctor, who met the Captain 'Cook at the wharf. Air Barnes was subsequently conveyed to a hospital. The speedboat continued to • burn Fiercely, and was alight from end to end. It attracted much attention from passengers on.the ferries and from people on the shore. It drilled toward 'George’s Head, where it sank in about 10ft. of water.

Mr Bailey, with his family and guest, was eventually taken back to the Royal Motor Yacht Club. Subsequently he went to George’s Head in another launch /to inspect the wreckage. The launch was valued at about £SOO or £O3O.