YACHT CAPSIZES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20291, 27 December 1927, Page 10

YACHT CAPSIZES.

TWO LIVES LOST. HEROIC RESCUE EFFORTS. A YOUNG WOMAN’S BRAVERY. (Special to Dailt Times.) WELLINGTON, December 26. On Saturday evening a yacht capsized near Somes Island, in Wellington Harbour, and two young men, aged between 18 and 20, lost their lives. Brave attempts to rescue were made by a survivor, and also by a young woman who was staying on the island. The, dead are : DONALD MACKAY, of Seatoun; and DAVID LANDER, of Adelaide road, Wellington. The yacht, a 14-footer, with a centreboard, manned by the two deceased and Keith Staff, also of Wellington, 'after sailing across the harbour to Day s Bay, started on the return to Seatoun, and when in the vicinity of Somes Island the boat capsized. There was a fresh southerly and moderate sea. The three occupants of the boat climbed on to the keel, and held on. Staff, who is a good swimmer, observing that the yacht was drifting towards the island, left it and essayed to swim ashor e tor assistance. He succeeded in reaching the land, but his mates were not so fortunate. They evidently dropped off the boat and were lost. Mr A. G. Bennett, senior inspector of health in charge of the quarantine station at the island, stated that at 6.40 p.m. oil Saturday he met young Staff on the island. He was in an exhausted condition, and mentioned that a yacht had capsized and h e had swum ashore, leaving the other two. With members of his family, including his daughter (Miss Beryl Bennett, a school teacher from Waikato on holiday with her parents), he made his way down the cliff to the shore. The boat was in sight, with the two, lads on it, and was drifting to th 6 island. Mr Bennett endeavoured unsuccessfully to attract the attention of the passing Day’s Day ferry. The lads were then still on tho boat, which had drifted appreciably nearer, and was ajiout 500 yards away. The next thing Mr Bennett noticed was that Staff and Miss Bennett were making their way to the farthest point on the rocks. Miss Bennett entered the water and swam to the boat, which had drifted still nearer, and 100 yards to 150 yards off the rocks. Staff also went into the water in an effort to reach the boat. In the meantime one youth had disappeared, and the other must hav o sunk soon afterwards, as Miss Bennett swam round the boat, but saw no sign of life. When she found there was no hope she returned to the island, meeting on the way young Staff, whose effort had also failed. The boat subsequently drifted ashore on the rocks, and Mr Bennett on Sunday patrolled the island, but saw no sign of the bodies, which he considers may drift out to sea on the current.

Staff, whose age is about that of the others, has recovered and returned to his home.