TWO ADRIFT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23259, 31 January 1939, Page 8

TWO ADRIFT

BOY AND A GIRL DRIVEN SEAWARD THAMES COAST SEAECH NO TIiACE DISCOVERED [by telegraph—own correspondent] THAMES, Monday Fears are entertained for the safety of Basil Rabe, aged 17, and Hazel Fisher, aged 16, who early this afternoon put off in a flat-bottomed boat from the Waiomio shore, were carried out to sea, and have not since been seen. Twice the police have searched the locality, the first time in a launch and then a fishing vessel, but without success. A fairly heavy sea was running all the afternoon, visibility was at times restricted to 100 yards, and a gusty south-easterly wind blew. Eye-witness' Account The youth is the only son of Mr. and Mrs. Karl Rabe, of Thames, and the girl is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Fisher, of Maramarua. Basil Rabe left his home at 1.30 p.m. to-day to go shooting. He arrived at Waiomio at about two o'clock, and shortly afterward was seen to enter the boat in company with Hazel Fisher, who was spending a holiday at the beach. A woman eye-witness says that she saw the boat caught by the outgoing tide and carried rapidly out to sea. Rabe began to wave franctically for help, and the woman hurried to the nearest telephone and advised the Thames police, who were about six miles distant by road. Nothing Further Discovered In a comparatively short tjme a constable arrived, and a launch was put out. A high wind and heavy rain made conditions generally unpleasant. After a protracted search the launch returned, and 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 boat, a mile or more off-shore, at three o'clock. The police telephoned to people at different vantage-points to keep a lookout, but up to a late hour this evening nothing further had been reported.