FOUR MAORIS LOST WHEN DINGHY SWAMPS IN TAURANGA HARBOUR

Wanganui Chronicle, 30 April 1949, Page 5

FOUR MAORIS LOST WHEN DINGHY SWAMPS IN TAURANGA HARBOUR

AUCKLAND, Last Night (PA).— In spite of intensive searches by launches and along tl'.e Tauran. a harbour fronts tonight, four Macus missing from a swamped dinghy had not been found at a late hour. The missing men were among a party of eight Maoris who attempted to cross the Tauranga harbour from the town wharf to tiie aerodrome wharf on the Mount Maunganui side of the harbour. The dinghy swam.' d in midstream and only four of the occupants were rescued. The missing men are Matthew Dixon, aged 56, farm labourer, of Matapehi. Tom MacMillan, aged 36, farm labourer, of Matakana. Mick Ririnui, aged 38, labourer, of Maungatapu Rar.gi Gear, aged 40, labourer, of Matapehi. The eight men left the Tauranga town wharf at 6.15 p.m. in a 14*1. dinghy powered by an outboard motor, to attend a tangi on the Mount Maunganui side of Tauranga harbour. In midstream on a crossing of little more than a mile, the dinghy swamped. Conditions on the harbour were calm. Cries for help were heard from the shore, and Constable Moloney, who was at the town wharf, went oi t with one of the first of a large fb'ct of searching launches. Ccnstab'cs Wakelin and Lockie followed in other vessels. The first man to be rescued was found shortly after 6.30 p.m. and three others were recovered shortly after. The men found were: Duke Ngatai, Raka Dixon and Pohete Ngatai, and a boy, Ririnui. Many launches searched the harbour with searchlights and torches tonight, the Faulkner brothers placing their fleet of commercial vessels at the disposal of the police.