Great Rescue

Wanganui Chronicle, 16 October 1947, Page 5

Great Rescue

FLYING BOAT FORCED DOWN AT SEA 51 PERSONS TAKEN OFF; OTHERS STILL SAFE •. London, Oct. 14 A Boeing flying-boat carrying 69 persons, including a crew of seven, v.qs forced to land in the Atlantic today because of a lack of petrol. ihe aircraft landed near a weather ship 1400 miles west of Eire. Winds of gale force and heavy seas up to 35 rect made a transfer of the passengers a hazardous procedure, but alter tossing dizzily in life rails and small boats, all but 18 were rescued. The 18 of the ilying-ooats passengrs and crew were still on board when the rescue operations ceased for the night. Darkness and heavy seas forced postponement of further rescue operations until dawn. Those still aboard were stated to be in no danger. An earlier report that all the passengers and crew had been rescued apparently arose from a misinterpretation of a message radioed to Snannon. The captain of the American, coastguard cutter Bibb, Paul Cronk, in a broadcast, said both he and the Bermuda Queen's captain, Charles Martin, were confident that all those remaining aboard would be rescued. Captain Cronk added: "If the worst happens during the night the people lelt aboard will just have to go over- ' board with their litejackets on and we will pick them up. Fortunately, the weather has moderated.” When the rescue operations con. tneneed those aboard the Bermuda Queen were reiuctnat to risk lives in rescue craft m the angry sea. afl Bibb spent tne greater part of the day in making practice approaches and in experimentally launching rub"ber liferafts. With the approach of nightfall, however, the flying-boat’s passengers decided It would be better to face rescue dangers rather than remain on board. At one stage some women and children were washed off a rescue raft, but were saved by the Bibb’s crew, who dived in alter them.

Most of the 62 passengers were British persons emigrating to or visiting America. American Flying Fortresses, carrying lifeboats, took off from Argentina and Harmon Field, Newfoundland, tor the scene, while other rescue aiiciaft in the Azores stood by. The flying-boat left Foynes shortly after midnight last night for Gander. The 62 paassengers include children. The craft, which belongs to American International Airlines. Ltd., was carrying the greatest number of passengers ever flown across the Atlan-

The captain of a tians- Atlantic land plane, on his arrival at Prestwick, said the Boeing was almost excctly in.the middle of the “It made a dandy landing, the heavy sea,” tne pilot said. He added that he saw the Boeing taxi to near the weather ship, whose crew put out floats. They heard the Boeing pilol on the radio calmly saying, "Everything is okay." The Boeing had navigational assistance from a Canadian trans-Atlantic Skymaster, which watched as the Boeing came down near the weather ship. Another Skymaster also circled watching tne landing. [