MAROONED IN A CAVE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19784, 7 March 1927, Page 8

MAROONED IN A CAVE

FAMILY’S PERILOUS PLIGHT BOAT WRECKED ON BOCKS. A man and his wife and their 14-year-old daughter wore rescued one day lately from a cave on a Devonshire rock where they had been marooned for two days with little food and no water. For two days before this they had been adrift in a sailing boat, and tho destroyer Scotsman had searched for them in vain. Tho man, Mr H. Gendle, had unsuccessfully tried to attract attention. At rSght he hoard the shouts of searcher';, but was unable to answer as the tide prevented him from leaving the cave. Behind tho cavo were rocks, 400 ft. high and unclimable. Mr Gendle accompanied by his wife and daughter had been to Dartmouth where he bought a sailing boat from the Royal Naval College. The family put to sea to sail to Devonport, a distance of about 30 miles, but nothing was heard of them for four days, although they intended to call at Salcombc on their journey. Difficulties Soon Encountered. Some fishermen eventually found the stranded family on the Montirn Rock at Hope Cove, and, with the help of coastguards, rescued them from a perilous position below the cliff. They were taken to Plymouth after being provided with shelter, food and clothing. All three were in an extremely exhausted condition, especially the mother and daughter, and had suffered severely from exposure. il l had to contend with difficulties soon after starting,’’ said Mr Gendle in an interview. “Part of the sailing gear was blown away and the boat drifted. I tried to cross Bigbury Bay, but the boat was blown back. “In tho darkness, hearing the sea washing the rocks, I decided to anchor. When daylight broke I saw that we were in a perilous position, and cut the anchor loose, hoping to reach the open sea. “But the boat drifted on to the rocks, and soon became a wreck. We saved food from, the boat and sheltered in a cave, as the cliffs are nearly 400 ft. high. “Our food gave out the day before we were found. We had no water, and existed on moisture which dripped from the roof of the cave.’’ Family Hauled Up Cliff. “We had no matches, so could not light- fires or flares. I kept blowing a whistle to attract attention, and waved clothes, but without result. At night I heard coast searchers calling, but as it was high tide I could not go far from the cave mouth, and they did not hear my cries. “In the morning, at low water, I went out. and to my joy, saw one of the searchers, and attracted his attention by waving my coat." The'party was seen near Hope Cave by coastguards, but was lost sight of. Later wreckage of the boat was found, and a search organised. Ropes and cliff ladders had to be lowered down the face of the cliffs to rescue the family, who wore drawn up to safety although they suffered greatly from cuts.