TWO MEN MISSING

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 111, 12 May 1936, Page 7

TWO MEN MISSING

BOAT FOUND ON ROCKS SEAECH PROVES FRUITLESS SYDNEY, May li. Two brothers, Harold Thompson, aged Illi, solicitor, and Alan Thompson, aged hi, factory manager, have been missing in mysterious circumstances since Saturday morning. They set out in a motor launch. on a. listing trip up the-Hawkesbury River and have not been seen since. Features which add to the mystery are the fact that their boat was found on rocks at Danger Island, -in the Hawkesbury, early yesterday. It had been damaged from within. The plug hrttl been pulled out and the magneto removed from the engine. Two aeroplanes and two launches searched throughout yesterday, but without success. PUZZLING FEATURES Received Mav 11, 7.5 p.m. SYDNEY, May JI. The police are engaged in a search for the missing brothers Thompson, but so far have not located them. The search will be continued to-morrow. Meantime the mystery deepens. A further examination of the damage to the launch discloses that planks on one side were broken apparently by the anchor. Another puzzling feature is that the petrol tank was found half full of water and the cap securely replaced. Relatives think the engine broke down and the men rowed ashore and became lost in the forest in the vicinity of the Hawkesbury River. Allan Thompson had set his mind on returning to Sydney by Saturday evening for the dog racing, at which he is a licensed bookmaker, and it is believed that he had with him at least £lOO, although another brother declared .today that Allan, would have no more than £6, The police have taken possession of a. sedan ear in which the missing men drove to the point ot embarkation, namely Church Point near the entrance of the Hawkesbury River, where they hired the launch, which was well equipped and serviced. The weather was ideal for the whole week-end and consequently there is no reason to an- ■ ticipate that the launch struck trouble in the open sea or became unmanage-1 able.