GRIM FIGHT FOR LIFE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22356, 29 February 1936, Page 2 (Supplement)

GRIM FIGHT FOR LIFE

SAILOR'S TERRIBLE END

TRAPPED IN CLIFF CREVICE SEQUEL TO GALE DISASTER Behind the recent discovery of a man's body on a narrow ledge 30ft. from the top of a towering Pembrokeshire cliff, with one hand still clutching the rock, lies a story of human agony and courage unrivalled even in the grim annals of the sea. The dead man was identified as William Harvey, aged 30, deckhand, of Halesworth, Suffolk, a member of the crew of the Lowestoft drifter, Shore Breeze, which was smashed to pieces on the rocks at St. Ann's Head in a gale, with the loss of 10 lives. When the ill-fated vessel was wrecked the young seaman —stronger or more fortunate than his shipmates—evidently took a 1000 to 1 chance and fought his way to shore through all the fury of the sea.

There, with towering waves lashing the rocks, he would be in as bad a plight as ever, so he started to crawl up the cliff. Bleeding from a score of wounds, his boots torn off, his strength fast ebbing away, he still went up, drawing nearer and nearer to safety. But death was not to be cheated. Sixty feet up an overhanging rock barred further progress, and with his strength gone he crouched down on a ledge to await the end. Before he died he is believed to have written a pencilled message: "Help! Am starving in cave,'' which was found in a bottle about four miles away on the day after the gale. At the inquest at Dale, Pembrokeshire, a dramatic story was told by Police Constable McTaggart, who described how he was lowered down the cliff and then

ascended the rocks to the ledge, 60ft, above.

Harvey was in a sitting position, and was unclothed from the waist downwards, except for one sock. Dr. B. Evans, of Milford Haven, explained that Harvey had been only slightly injured. His fingers were lacerated and his legs from the knees down were cut. Death was due to exposure.

William Gilpin, head lighthousekeeper at St. Ann's, stated that on January 5 he saw white mast headlights and starboard lights heading toward the cliffs about two miles away. The boat which showed them was apparently disabled. Patrick Mclntyre, coastguard officer at St. Ann's, told how he searched the cliffs from Cobbler's Halls to the Vomit, where the Shore Breeze was found smashed to matchwood.

" The wind was tremendous," he added, " and I could not stand on the cliffs. I went back and forth the whole length on my hands and knees and used a searchlight, but failed to find anything."

The verdict was " Death from exposure."