RESCUE AT SEA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21827, 14 December 1932, Page 8

RESCUE AT SEA

ADRIFT IN LAUNCH • j HOPE ALMOST ABANDONED (Special to Daily Times.) WELLINGTON, December 13. After drifting about helplessly for most of the day and when hopes of rescue were rapidly vanishing, two men on board a 20ft launch were fortunate enough to be sighted and picked up yesterday afternoon by the tramp steamer Newton Elm when about seven miles out to sea off Pencarrow. Head. The Newton Elm, which was passing through Cook Strait on a voyage from Auckland to Westport, brought them to the vicinity of the harbour entrance, where they wei'e transferred to the Government steamer Janie Seddon and brought into port. The two men aboard the launch were Messrs G. Hudson and C. Usher, who both live at Petone. They left Paremata in the launch about 4 o’clock this morning, their intention being to call at Island Bay and later proceed to Petone. They cleared the Terawhiti rip about four hours later, and when they were rounding Sinclair Head the _ engine stopped, and all efforts to restart it were unsuccessful. Mr Hudson, who owns the launch and intendeds using it for fishing and pleasure purposes, believes that the stoppage of the engine was due to water having reached the magneto. It was about 3.30 p.m. when the launch was picked up by the Nevyton Elm. Messrs Hudson and Usher estimete that at that time they were about seven miles off Pencarrow. Although the sea was then fairly rough, the launch was riding comfortably, her nose being kept to the waves by means of a jib sail. During the rescue operations a plank on the launch was stove in, and although the captain ot the Newton Elm took it in tow it made water rapidly, and he had no alternative but to cut it adrift. After the rescue immediate steps were taken by the captain to communicate with the authorities in Wellington. Arrangements were made for him to divert his course, and outside the heads he was met by the Janie Seddon. There _ the men were transferred and brought into port, reaching the city shortly after 6 o’clock. The rescued men speak in high praise of the captain and crew of the Newton Elm. “ I was sitting in the bottom of the boat and had practically given all hope,” said Mr Usher. “ I do not thin.c we could have lasted till morning. In fact, I doubt if we could have hung on anything like that time, for the sea was becoming rougher. I happened to look out and all of a sudden I saw the Lewton Elm. We both waved for all we were worth, but I think the captain of the steamer saw us as soon as we saw him. The way the captain swung around and brought the Newton Elm up alongside us was a great piece of seamanship. The captain and his crew treated us wonderfully and could not do enough for us. It was a stroke of luck for both of us that we were saved, for the Newton Elm was running later than her schedule time.’