SAILING BOAT CAPSIZES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18459, 24 July 1923, Page 9

SAILING BOAT CAPSIZES.

A LINCOLNSHIRE TRAGEDY. LOSS ; OF ' TWO . LIVES. The frantic struggles of a sailing boat load of holiday-makers, . -who -were "overturned in the sea -by a sudden ."squall half a mile 'from shore, thrilled thousands of parsons , at v Clsethorpes, : , Lincolnshire, recently. - ' Eleven *■ persons"were" brought ashore, but one "woman, died. She was Mrs. Ford, aged ; 57, -of 'Mansfield. -Mr. Palmer, aged 60,- of Leicester, was drowned. The boat—the Bermuda and skippered •by Alfred Brutton — off ? for a sail with 10 passengers, chiefly women excursionists from the Midlands, - and one youth, Allan 5 , Hockhold, who was Brutton's : assistant; . There was a. fresh breeze, and as the vessel came round the squall turned her right over. ; 1 i : A number: of-; other sailing boats, and several . motor boats went to the rescue, and' picked •up the 11 persons. , Several" were unconscious, and all were exhausted. •They were landed 'and taken to the ambulance station, where doctors and ambulance 'assistants were quickly in attendance. - Mrs. Ford did not rally, and died a few moments after reaching the station. ; Mrs. Palmer, of Leicester, was taken by motor ambulance to Grimsby Hospital 'in a J critical - condition, but' the - others all came • round under treatment. . , . . .Wnen Mrs. Palmer' regained consciousness she asked for news of her husband. It was then realised for the first time that he was missing, and •"search parties were sent : along Cleethorpes beach to look for his body. , a ' Among the passengers was Miss Martha Keen, of Wombwell, who had with her an eight-year-old niece. When the boat turned over the child clung- to her aunt's neck and the two' sank ; together, but the youth Hockhold, . who cannot swim, clutched hold of them, pulled them to the surface, and kept them -up until a motor boat dashed up and took . them , aboard. Hockhold - then ■ sank, . and ' was picked up in a -distressed state. : : The skipper was picked up after being in the water a-quarter of an hour. '