MISSING RAFT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23906, 5 March 1941, Page 10

MISSING RAFT

DISCOVERED IN BIA'EI! FATE OF HAWERA COUPI.E BLOWN TO SEA MONTH AGO [by TELEGRAPH —PItESS ASSOCIATION] AVANG AXUI, Tuesday A raft which answers the description of Hint on which a young Tlawera couple, Mr. and Mrs. C. Oakes, were blown to sea from Oliawe, 'laranaki. on the evening of January 27, has been washed up at Waitotara. The discovery was made by r. C. C. Hodgetts, Station Road. Waitotara, who reported it to the police. The raft was found three-quarters of a mile inside (he mouth ot the A\ aitotara River and although it is without oil drums, its dimensions are the same as Ihc raft on which Mr. and Mrs. Oakes were last seen. Confirmation of its identity is awaited from the Rawer a police, if) whom advice of the discovery has been communicated. ' Both Mr. and Mrs. Oakes were fishing enthusiasts, with some knowledge of various types of sea craft. Mr. Oakes built a raft with the idea of using it as a platform from which to fish at a safe anchorage within reasonable distance of the shore at Oliawe. He used two oblong airtight drums to give buoyancy to the wooden portion of the raft,, which was about 6ft. in length and 4ft. in width, and to which were secured outrigger bars. The oil drums were attached as floats at the ends of the bars. The initial launching took place on the evening of January 27 against advice of people on the beach who questioned the wisdom of the action in view of the weather. In half an hour the raft moved nearly a mile out to sea. Mr. and Mrs. Oakes were last seen paddling strenuously but losing ground rapidly in the drift out to sea.