RESCUED IN TIME

Southland Times, Issue 21649, 10 March 1932, Page 7

RESCUED IN TIME

YACHT WASHED ON TO ROCKS. A HARROWING ORDEAL. (Per United Press Association.) Auckland, March 9. Disaster befel the Norwegian yacht Teddy this afternoon, the vessel being wrecked on Challenger or Little Kawau Island. The owner and skipper, Mr'Erling Tambs, with his wife and two children, were saved after a harrowing ordeal. Mrs Tambs, who was rescued while clinging to some wreckage, received a severe cut on the head, and Tambs was cut deeply on the leg by the rocks. The children escaped injury. AU are staying at Mansion House, Kawau Island. The accident happened at about 1.30 p.m , the Teddy being caught in the heavy swell and dashed on to the rocks. The vessel left Auckland last Saturday for Brisbane and, having called at Kawau Island, she left there at 10 a.m. to-day in continuation of her voyage. She was sighted shortly before 1.3(1 p.m. by the steamer Duchess and was then sailing close to the easterly point, of Challenger Island. Apparently all was well. A small fishing launch, the Ola, owned bv Albert Emtage, of Kawau Island, who was on board with a companion, cruised into the vicinity of. the Teddy and it was seen that the vessel was pounding on some rocks at the south-east side of Challenger Island. The Ola immediately rushed to the stricken craft. Mrs Tambs was discovered clinging to a plank on the seaward side of the Teddy, which had its stem hard and fast in a cleft in the rocks. The boom was broken off and the seas were washing across the vessel. Mrs Tambs was taken from the water, bruised and exhausted. As the Ola approached Tambs was scrambling on to the rocks with their three-year-old son and baby, and by the time he had placed them in safety, Mrs Tambs had been picked up. Tambs and the children, who were accompanied by a dog, a mascot, were then taken on board the Ola.

Wreckage from the yacht was floating in all directions and by thia time the craft was full of water and listing to seaward on her beam ends. While the rescue was in progress, the coastal motor vessel Coronation came in sight, bound from Whangarei Heads to Auckland. At. 2.15 p.m. when the Ola was preparing to leave for Kawau Island with the survivors on board, the Coronation came alongside and offered to help. The survivors were sitting in the cockpit of the Ola and appeared to be quite cheerful. They elected to return to Kawau. The skipper of the launch told Captain Robertson of the Coronation that the Teddy was proceeding out of the south passage in a light southerly breeze and a heavy swell when she missed the stays and was swept ashore. Further assistance not being needed, the Coronation came on to Auckland and the Ola proceeded to Kawau where Mrs Tambs and the children were pared for by ladies at Mansion House. To-night they were progressing favourably. At. 4 pun. Tambs set out from Kawau Island again in the launch Ola to inspect- the wreck. When he returned to Kawau he stated that it was impassible to save anything.