BLOWN OUT TO SEA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19731, 2 September 1927, Page 9

BLOWN OUT TO SEA.

TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE. RESCUE BY A STEAMER. TWO FISHERMEN'S STORY, Two fishermen, Lionel Buvfc and Frederick Stevens, who were blown out to sea near Sydney in a small boat on a recent afternoon and who were rescued by a steamer, had an exciting tale of their adventures to tell when they had recovered from the experience. The men said they had been fishing all the morning, about three miles off Waverley Cemetery. About two o'clock a strong wind sprang up and they started the engine in order to return heme. They had gone only about 300 yards, however, when the engine, which had previously given trouble, stopped. They unscrewed one of the sparking plugsj-but while they were trying to affix another a volume of spray dashed over them and some of it got into the cylinder, rendering the engine useless.

"It was blowing hard from the northwest," the men continued, "and we tried to pull against the wind. Finding that impossible, we made an effort io Long Bay instead of Coogee. We were within a mile of the shore when the wind chopped round to the south-east and we could not make any headway. We dropped the keliick. Seas wefo breaking over the bow and we had to keep baling and pulling, but even with the kcllick out we found ourselves drifting to sea at the rate of three knots.

"Just before sunset we r,aw a large steamer passing. We could plainly see the man at the wheel. To attract his attention we hoisted a piece of canvas on an oar and waved. Our signal was not seen, however, and the ship sailed past. By this time the cold vras intense. Tre- ' mendous seas were breaking over the boat and we were drenched to the skin. All this time we were drifting farther and farther out to sea. At 11 o'clock we were about. nine miles from land. "Suddenly we were relieved to see the lights of a steamer about 300 yards to leeward. The steamer was the Ulooloo, and by a piece of luck it happened that the captain and chief steward were leaning over the side, smoking. They heard our cries. Twice the Ulooloo encircled us. Heaving to on the weather side, the crew called out to us, but could not hear our reply. However, we found a piece of dry paper and lit it tinder the shelter of a sou'-wester, nsing nearly a full box of safety matcher, in the process. This tiny, flickering flame was all that was required for the crew of the Ulooloo to locate us. We were taken on. board, more dead than alive, and our boat was towed astern."