DRAMATIC OCEAN RESCUE

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20538, 13 February 1935, Page 1

DRAMATIC OCEAN RESCUE

HALLS. Australia Takes off Some of Seth Parker’s Crew. STANDING BY STRICKEN SHIP. Duke Watches Thrilling Incidents in Pacific Storm. (United Press Association.—By Electric Telegraph. Copyright.) FROM H.M.A.S. AUSTRALIA (At Sea), February 12.

Those rescued are: Cadets Jack Love, Roy Gloston, the cook, M’Callister, First Engineer Muller, Second Engineer Eric Carlson, the cabin boy, Arthur Morgan, and also Georgs Schwanneman and James M Gahey, of Balboa. Those still aboard are Captain Phillips Lord, the navigation officer, Flink, wireless operator Sweeney and Cadets R. Rueschle and Robert Pays. Cadet Gloston said: “We left on a world cruise a year ago, transmitting radio programmes as we went to the National Broadcasting Corporation. Ever since leaving Papeete on January 10 we have experienced bad weather, but a real storm began last Thursday night and we had three feet of water in the hold from leaks. Captain Lord decided that some must go and the cadets drew lots.” The captain of H.M.A.S. Australia has informed Captain Lord that H.M.A.S. Australia will stand by until the naval tug arrives, or it is certain that the tug will locate the Seth Parker. The Seth Parker’s crew are mostly volunteers. She is registered as a yacht with Phillips Lord as master. He actually is the noted American broadcaster, Seth Parker. The Duke of Gloucester spent the whole afternoon on the bridge watching the exciting scenes. When H.M.A.S. Australia arrived she found the Seth Parker’s masts still standing, but she was unable to set

H.M.A.S. AUSTRALIA sighted the Seth Parker again at four o’clock in the afternoon and following a request from the Seth Parker’s captain, H.M.A.S. Australia lowered a boat and took off nine of the crew, leaving five aboard to await the arrival of a United States naval tug from Samoa, which plans towing her back there. The rough sea made the lowering of the boat difficult, and the Seth Parker was rolling so heavily that it was impossible to come right alongside, so, standing off a short distance, the boat picked up the crew, two of whom swam without the line which was used by the others.

sail and was rolling in a fearful beam sea. On'-Monday H.M.A.S. Australia heard the Seth Parker tell Honolulu that the j barometer was falling steadily, the wind and sea increasing, and the yacht in danger of dismasting. The yacht reouested that a naval tug be sent to her aid. T hen at 5.35 on Monday evening the Seth Parker wirelessed H.M.A.S. Australia as follows: “We feel humiliated to come to you. After the subsiding seas and wind yesterday, when you found us lying comfortable, the wind has now reached gale force and is increasing fast. The seas are tremendous and the rigging is already going. If the gale continues to increase we cannot last. We are trying to refrain from sending distress signals, but we feel it is only a matter of a few hours. If you return and we are still afloat and the sea will allow it, will you tow us to Tahiti, instead of insisting on abandoning ship?” Five minutes later the Seth Parker wirelessed: “We are coming about. If we lose contact it is a sure sign that we have gone over.” , . , . H.M.A.S. Australia instantly headed in the Seth Parker's direction. The captain at 6.17 wirelessed the Seth Parker: “ Consider you should send a distress signal if you are in real danger, or need assistance. Towage to Tahiti is impossible. Please report vour condition.” . Then at 7.50 came the signal: “SO.S.. Seth Parker, 157/30 west, 14 south, in distress. Request assistance. Rigging gone and vessel leaking bad-