EXPLOSION FOLLOWS FIRE ON LAUNCH; SIX PEOPLE PICKED UP

Wanganui Chronicle, 13 November 1950, Page 4

EXPLOSION FOLLOWS FIRE ON LAUNCH; SIX PEOPLE PICKED UP

AUCKLAND, Last Night (PA).— After petrol had exploded near the motor, fire gutted a 22ft. private launch between Brown's Island and Rangiloto tonight. The owner, Dr. L. R. de Castro, of Auckland, and five other passengers had to take to a small dinghy. They were picked up by an Auckland fishing launch and brought into town. A girl on the launch suffered burns to her legs, and received treatment from Dr. de Castro.

‘lt all happened in a minute,” said one of the passengers. “I tried to get to the fire extinguisher, but the flames had swept through the cabin. We all had to take to the dinghy, but it started to fill up, so we jumped into the water and supported ousifives on the boat until we were picked up.”

The trawler which rescued the launch party was the Aorangi. She was returning from Waiheke with visitors who had been attending the opening of a Catholic church on the island. One of the passengers noticed the launch appeared to be in distress, and told the master, Mr. R. Loveridge. By then flames were sweeping the launch and Mr. Loveridge immediately put over to her, and he picked up the party hanging on to the dinghy after they had been in the water for several minutes. A naval motor launch also saw the explosion and arrived shortly after the Aorangi. As she came alongside one of the crew, Stoker-Mechanic G. Quinn, jumped on to the burning boat and threw overboar a tin of petrol that was in danger of exploding. He was joined by Able Seaman, R. Swain, and the two used equipment from their launch to put out the fire. The naval launch then took the burned vessel in tow and brought her into Motuihe.

After an examination an officer reported that the cabin appeared to be completely gutted, but the hull was still sound.