LAUNCH IN DANGER

Hokitika Guardian, 1 April 1933, Page 2

LAUNCH IN DANGER

EXPERIENCE OF TWO FISHERMEN . .

NEW PLYMOUTH, March 30

Two New Plymouth fishermen, Mesrs G. Loder and W. McLeod, had an unenviable experience when returning to New Plymouth last night after fishing off the cqastt. The engines of their launch broke down and they were forced to put up flares to attract assistance from New Plymouth. They were rescued only when the launch was in danger of being dashed on a reef.

The men left New Plymoutth on Saturday afternoon for the fishing grounds off Whitecliffs. They remained there until yesterday afternoon, when they decided to try their luck further up. the coast. The engine was ■started,, but it vvas not running well, and it was decided to return slowly to New Plymouth, but when off the Waiongona River mouth the engine stopped. A strong south-easterly breeze was sending them on to a reef, but the men managed to get the launch round it on to the New Plymouth side, where the anchor was dropped. However, it would not hold, and it was then obvious that assistance would have to be summoned. As dusk commenced to fall flares were pnt up. They were improvised from sacks soaked in benzine, lighted and waved on the end of a boat hook. Thei flares were answered from Bell Block, but no assistance could be given from there. Several people at the port of New r Plymouth saw the waving lights, and Mr W. Growcott set out in liis launch tn render assistance. He proceeded as far as Bell Block, but when there the lights seemed a long distance away and he returned to New Plymouth. In the meantime the strong breeze was steadily blowing the disabled launch on to a reef. Mr A. Growcott then left New Plymouth and proceeded straight past Bell Block to the other launch, which he towed back to port. One of the men in the disabled launch said that had assistance arrived a quarter of an hour later there would have ben no launch to rescue, for it would have been smashed on the reef.