ADRIFT AT SEA

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21332, 5 November 1932, Page 14

ADRIFT AT SEA

THREE MEN IN LAUNCH RESCUED BY A STEAMER After the launch May had drifted helplessly all day, three men in it were rescued off Narrabeen, New South Wales, late one night recently. They had been at the mercy of the heavy seas since the failure of tho engine at about 10 o'clock in tho morning. Ihe launch was proceeding down the coast from Broken Bay, and was about 10 miles north of South Head, when tho breakdown occurred. Realising their danger with a stiff westerly blowing, the occupants immediately hoisted distress signals. As they drifted throughout the day without being sighted, their alarm gradually increased. Several vessels passed them, but apparently all failed to see the men's signals. An anchor was put out, but soon began to drag and finally proved useless. Toward nightfall a sea anchor was let overboard, but tho launch gradually drifted out to sea. When darkness fell the men on board lighted kerosene flares at intorvals. Three more vessels passed in tho distance without noticing the signals. At about nine o'clock at night tho men on tho May began to despair of being rescued. Another flare was sighted by the steamer Craigend, which went to tho assistanco of the launch. Considerable difficulty was experienced in getting a towing line aboard, as there was a very rough sea. For more than an hour the larger vessel tried unsuccessfully to get a rope across to the May, but at last succeeded. The launch was towed into harbour and taken to Pyrmont.