TRAGEDY FEARED

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 31 January 1939, Page 4

TRAGEDY FEARED

YOUTH AND GIRL SWEPT TO SEA NO TRACE FOUND BY SEARCH PARTY I United Pim Association! AUCKLAND. 30th January. Fears are entertained for the safety of Basil Rabe, aged 17, and Hazel Fisher, aged 16, who earljr this afternoon put off in a flat-bot-tomed boat from the Waiomio Shore, were carried out to sea and have not Nince been seen. Twice police have searched the locality, the first time in a launch and then in a fishing vessel but without sucA fairly heavy sea was running all the afternoon. Visibility was at times restricted to 100 yards and a gusty south-easterly wind blew’. The youth is the only son of Mr Karl Rabe. of Thames, and the girl is a daughter of Mr Fisher, Maramarua. Basil Rabe left his home at 1.30 p.m. to-day to go shooting. He arrived at i Waiomio at about 2 o’clock and shortly afterward w'as seen to enter the boat in company w’ith Hazel Fisher, who was spending a holiday at the beach. A w’oman eye-witness says that she saw the boat caught by the outgoing tide and carried rapidly out to sea. Rabe began to wave frantically for help and the woman hurried to the nearest telephone and advised the Thames police, who w r ere about six I miles distant by road. In a comparaj tively short time a constable arrived and a launch was put out. A gusty | wind and heavy rain made conditions i generally unpleasant. After a pro- ; traded search the launch returned and j a further attempt was made soon afterward in a heavier boat, which patrolled | the coast for some distance but without catching a glimpse of the missing pair, who were last seen drifting in their j boat a mile or more off shore at 3 j o’clock. Police telephoned to people at differen’. vantage points to keep a look out but up to late hour nothing further had b- 'n reported.