ADVENTURES A-PLENTY

Northern Advocate, 15 September 1932, Page 4

ADVENTURES A-PLENTY

MISHAP TO LIGHTHGUSEMEN BOAT CAUGHT IN BREAKERS. LOST IN'THE S ANDHILLS, CAPE if ART A PARTY/ Adventures and mishaps, fortunately not attended by tragedy, . befell' a party engaged on repairs to the lighthouse at Capo Maria Van piemen last week-end. Their little boat was swamped in mountainous combers, they spent a miserable night on the beach, and-then finally, after an. uncomfortable ride over the sandhills, arrived ip haven to find one-of their number miss-

ing. Under the supervision l of Mr .1. M MeLaehlan, Public Works building overseer, of Whangarei, considerable alterations were made.-at the lighthouse. The work done, Mr MeLaehlan, and his two assistants, Messrs Prod Hewitt and H. T. Squires, both of Kaikohe, desired to return to the mainland. Their gear was placed on the ‘‘'cage” which is used for transporting heavy materials and the three men, accompanied by Mr Young, the lighthouse-keeper, and his assistant, set off in the 14-foot surf boat to row the quarter of a mile to the shore. The passage is always a difficult one, and when the weather is rough is full'of peril. The boat was nearing its destination when a huge breaker Caught the crew unawares, and the boat was capsized in a boiling sea. One of the party, Mr Hewitt, was unable to swim, and thefe would certainly have been a tragedy had not another big breaker washed them further in. ■ The men Were dashed dri to the hard beach and' against the boat suffering severe abrasions. They were still in fairly deep wafer, and the anxiety was heightened when it was discovered that Mr Hewitt had a foot caught in a.'rowlock. His companions' made frantic endeavours to free the captive member before " the undertow ended all. They Were'assisted in-their efforts by another-breaker, which landed them out of danger. The third keeper and. the three women in the lighthouse had been anxious witnesses of the whole proceedings. Semaphore signals, made with handkerchiefs, passed between' shore and lighthouse, and towards midnight supplies of tobacco and food and blankets were sent over on the cage. ; In theit- wet ■clothes, and feeling" sore from many bruises, the live' men passed' an uncomfortable night on the beach. Mr Hewitt, who had a. brokenjdb, was the only one to snstaih any" seriohs injury. A .telephone message from the lighthouse resulted in horses being ' sent from’ Te Paki Station the .following morning. The number of mounts was insufficient and the 20-mile trek.to the station was anything, but a pleasure. . Mr Young, who had never been over the broken country before, Tagged behind on a slow steed. The rest of the party arrived at Te Paid' at nine o’clock in the evening,, and when they found that the lighthouse-keeper .was missing, their consternation may Ve well imagined. Lanterns, fresh horses from the run, and Maoris were commandeered, and Mr Young, who was found wandering in the sandhills, was brought in at 2.30 on Monday morning. .A gale has raged ever since, and the party are still marooned at Te Paki.