EXPLOSION ON LAUNCH

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 240, 11 October 1938, Page 11

EXPLOSION ON LAUNCH

FIRE DESTROYS CRAFT CHILD SERIOUSLY INJURED LUCKY ESCAPE FOR OTHER OCCUPANTS [ Per Press Association.] AUCKLAND, Oct. 9. With a fierce fire following a violent explosion in the engine-room, the modern 35ft. cruising launch, Lady Pam, was completely destroyed off Motuihi Island this afternoon. Of a party of 16 aboard at the time, nine women and children were hastily placed in a dinghy, two members of the crew were blown overboard ano the remainder of the men swam ashore. Several of the party suffered severe burns in spite of the hasty abandonment of the launch. The injured were:— Vernon McGeady, of Herne Bay, owner of the launch, burns to the right leg. Mrs.| I. E. McGeady, burns on the legs. Pamela McGeady, aged 5, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. McGeady, burns to both legs, hips and to the right arm. Jean Hall, aged 12, of 25 Mason's Avenue, burns to legs. With the exception of Pamela McGeady, none of the injured is in a serious condition and they were taken to their homes after receiving attention at the casualty department of the Auckland Hospital. Pamela McGeady was in a fairly serious condition but was later taken to her home by the ambulance.

The mishap occurred off Motuihi Island, where the launch was beached in order to remedy a defect which had developed in the water-cooling system of the engine. Apparently when the vessel was canted on her side awaiting the tide for refloating there was an escape of petrol fumes which apparently permeated the boat for, as she was moving astern after refloating a violent explosion shook her from stern to stern. The owner, Mr. McGeady, was thrown overboard, the hatch cover was tossed into the air and other portions of the superstructure were crumpled. Most of the passengers, including one woman with a baby in her arms, were thrown to the deck where they were assembled at the time. Almost simultaneously fire broke out and, assembling in the stern, the women and children boarded the dinghy and were pulled for the beach, about 100 yards away. The flames spread rapidly and with no prospect of quelling the outbreak the reminder of the occupants jumped overboard. These included one woman, Miss Edna Rogers, of Ponsonby, who was later assisted ashore. The last person to leave threw out the anchor in the face of the flames in a vain attempt to arrest the vessel’s drift. The dinghy reached the shore successfully and its occupants were joined shortly afterwards by those who swam ashore. The pillar of flame and smoke arising from the furiously burning vessel attracted the attention of another launch, which picked up the marooned party and rushed the injured people to Auckland, where they were transferred from the wharf to the hospital. “The incident cannot be described, it happened so quickly,” a member of the crew said later. “The explosion came without warning and it was followed so rapidly by the flames that it seemed extremely fortunate that more were not burned. I don’t know quite how we managed to abandon the launch except that most of the women and kiddies jumped aboard the dinghy and the rest of us, including Mr. McGeady, who had been burned badly on the leg, swam ashore.” The vessel was launched only two years ago and to-day mal'ked her first trip this season. When last seen drifting towards the reef she was burned to the waterline and had become a total loss. The value of the launch was £l5OO and she was not covered by insurance.