REPORTED IN DISTRESS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19695, 23 January 1926, Page 8

REPORTED IN DISTRESS.

BOATS OFF BIRD ISLAND. DUNEDIN MAKING SEARCH. The police at Anderson’s Bay reported at 7 o’clock last night that two boats were in distress in the vicinity of Bird Island. The information supplied the harbour board officials at Port Chalmers was somewhat meagre, and the lighthouse at Cape Saunders was communicated with by telephone, but the boats had been observed from the’ lighthouse. Inquiries amongst the fishermen at Port Chalmers were made, but so far as could be ascertained none of the fishing fleet was out of port yesterday. Despite the vagueness of the information it was decided to do spatch the tug Dunedin to search for the boats reported ,to be in distress, and she left Port Chalmers at 8.45 last evening. Constable Bush accompanied the tug. When the Dunedin left it was blowing a fresh gale and raining. ,A white haze, which h«!d been working ahorewards from the horizon during the day (was then enveloping the lower harbour, restrictin'; visibility. With the wind prevailing last night any boats sheltering at Cape Saunders would have been safely out of the storm. The boats reported to in difficulties, however, were said to be south of Cape Saunders, and consequently they would have to face the wind and sea to reach the sheltered anchorage at the Cape. The Dunedin would reach Cape Saunders in about two hours after leaving Port Chalmers, but the vagueness of the message in regard to the boats, would not be the only handicap if boats were in distress thereabouts, for boats in difficulties would probably not have lights available to guide the tug, while the rough sea and the haze which was obscuring the coastline, would serve to make matters more difficult.