DISATER TO AN OIL SEARCHING PARTY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 13 April 1922, Page 7

DISATER TO AN OIL SEARCHING PARTY

WRECK OF A LUGGER.

SURVIVORS’ THRILLING EX-

PERIENCES

(By Electric Telegraph —Copyright] I Australian and N.Z. Cable Association)

PORT DARWIN. This Hay. The oil searching party was wrecked at Point Pearce. The two missing members, (Tampion,, owner of the lugger, and Permit*, drilling export, wore lust seen swimming in a tempestuous sea. There were five survivors, including two Europeans, named Sands and Bestwick. The latter had thrilling experiences, being cast ashore at the foot of towering cliffs which they managed to scale. They reached shore without clothes, boots or food. They met a tribe of wild and fiercelooking natives, who, however, treated them well and supplied them with food. They then started to walk to Port Keats, b(J miles distant, taking three days. Their only food was shell fish and a bag of Hour found on the beach. They w ere terribly tortured iiW their nude condition by myriads 6| mosquitoes and other insects. Failing help, Sands walked back to Point Pearce, but Bcstwick was too exhausted to make the journey. Sands induced the skipper of a Malay launch to return to the rescue of Bestwiok.