TRAGEDY FEARED

Southland Times, Issue 20660, 5 December 1928, Page 6

TRAGEDY FEARED

LAUNCH ASHORE OCCUPANT BELIEVED TO BE DROWNED VOYAGE FROM PORT CRAIG Tragedy is feared as the result of an unoccupied launch drifting ashore at the back beach at Ocean Beach directly behind the Freezing Works early yesterday afternoon. If a life has been lost the story will be a very sad ’one; for George Graham, aged 27 or 28, an employee of the Port Craig Timber Company, had built and equipped the boat himself and as a demonstration to his friends had said that he could keep up with the Oreti when it sailed for Invercargill. He was leaving Port Craig permanently where he had been employed as a first class engineer and he accordingly packed all his belongings including a valuable set of engineers tools into the boat. With the assistance of friends, five gallons of petrol were also loaded and a plentiful supply of food and water. He was abdurate in not allowing any one to go with him. “If anyone’s going to drown, it’s going to be only me,” he said laughingly. He left about the same time as the Greti but she was putting on all steam to catch the tide at Bluff and in about an hour he was left behind. The Oreti left Port Craig about 2 o’clock on Monday afternoon and arrived at Invercargill at 8 o’clock. Graham’s co-workers were deeply affected and surprised by the news. Surprised because the boat, although only recently completed, was well built and in a demonstration had acquitted itself well. The engine was strong, but not too strong for the hull. If the cause of the accident was the unseaworthiness of the vessel, they were inclined to put it down to the fact that the boat had been built too “squarepacked”—another 8 feet to its length would have made it a perfect sea-boat. “Grahapi was one of the best of fellows,” said one man in really sincere tones. “He was well liked by everybody.” His mates were hoping that he might have got to land safely in the dinghy he was trailing. Judging by the appearance of the launch as she now lies at Ocean Beach the anchor stanchion has been torn out which lends colour to a theory that the occupant may for some reason have anchored the craft at some place along the coast probably Colac Bay or Riverton and pulled ashore in a dinghy. The launch was sighted on Monday by the coastal steamer Oreti at which time she had a dinghy in tow. The stanchion may have been torn out during Graham’s absence, leaving the small vessel at the mercy of wind and tide. Monday night’s strong wind would probably account for it. At any rate the anchor is missing but he may not have been carrying one. Another version is that the launch carried a small mast well forward and that during the storm it was snapped off together with the sail by the force of the wind. In the act of clearing the wreckage away Graham may have been washed overboard. Both these, however, are merely theories put forward to explain what appears on the face of it to have been a disaster. The launch itself, thanks to the untiring efforts of the employees of the Ocean Beach Freezing Works, is quite undamaged although a report was circulated stating that it had several holes knocked in it. The engine, rudder and propellor are in perfect working order and it is not the failure of any of these parts that can account for the occurrence. Word was received in Bluff from Ocean Beach concerning the affair about 2.30 p.m. to the effect that a launch was drifting in the straits and that Mr Frank Bevan, who first noticed it, and others were keeping watch on it. At 2.45 p.m. the Customs officer (Mr W. M. Smith) and Sergeant C. W. Tonkinson proceeded to the beach by car. When they arrived there the launch was near the shore, but still in danger of being cast on the rocks. ’ Twelve mSn were employed by the Customs officer, as receiver of wrecks, to salvage the launch if possible. After working for three or four hours with the aid of two horses the launch was dragged over the rocks by means of planks beneath her to a place of safety above high water mark. An inspection revealed that there was a plentiful supply of benzine aboard and an abundance of stores sufficient to last the occupant for four or five days. She also had aboard a case of carpenter’s tools conservatively valued at £6O. These have been laid out at the Ocean Beach Works in charge of Mr A. E. Lee and have been thoroughly oiled to prevent rusting. Several personal effects of the occupant were also recovered from the launch. The launch, which has just been built is almost completely decked in, only a small cockpit being uncovered. She is built of red pine and is about 22 feet in length with a beam of at least 8 feet. She is equipped with a powerful six cylinder motor car engine. Altogether she is a most seaworthy craft and could be expected to stand up to the roughest weather with impunity. The mystery which surrounds the whole affair will probably be cleared up to-day when the police will search the beach for traces of the dinghy or the occupant. Two brothers of the missing man have advised that they will arrive at Bluff on the 7 a.m. train.