LAUNCH MISSING.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19178, 8 December 1927, Page 13

LAUNCH MISSING.

FEARS FOR TWO MEN.

AN ILL-FATED TRIP

[THE PBEBB Special Service.] AUCKLAND, December 7. It is feared that another fatal boating accident involving two men has occurred. The fishing launch, Dolly, it is thought, left Auckland two weeks ago for Whangarei and has not since been heard of. The missing men are Henry Masleu and Thomas Henry Hook. Particulars are meagre, but it is understood chat both men ar© middleaged and married. The Dolly is 33ft and is registered in Maslen'.s name as the A 1901.

The missing men sent a telegram to relatives in Whangarei stating that they intended leaving Auckland on November 22nd, and it is believed that the Dolly sailed on that date. As the laurjch did not reach Whangarei within the next week the men's relatives became anxious. All enquiries made by the Whangarei police have so far proved fruitless. At Auckland the waterfront police are endeavouring to find out dehnitolj' whether the launch left Auckland on the date named. It is understood that the Dolly was only recently sold to Masleu. Masters of vessels trading out of Auckland have been to keep a sharp look-out for the missing launch. Auckland has been singularly unfortunate in regard to fata] boating accidents during the past few months. At the end of September the launch Speedwell with Edwin Walker aboard left for Russell. The Speedwell was sighted by a fisherman tho day after leaving Auckland but was not again seen and all search proved unsuccessful. It is believed that the boat either broke down and was carried out to sea or foundered in the rough seas.

On Saturday, Not-ember 19th. a 12ft rowing boat fitted with a centreboard capsized in a squall when going from Milford to Islington Bay and two of the three occupants, Messrs W. Williams and J. Bowman, were lost. The third member of the crew managed to scramble ashore on the rocky coast at Rangitoto and was found after he had been wandering, about the island naked for over twenty-fours hours.

A_ third fatal accident, also involving the loss of two lives, occurred last week, when two fishermen, Messrs O. Jones and D. Wardle. disappeared froin the launch Huann, anchored off Tiri. The upturned dinghy in which the men set out to set their lines was picked up on Little Barrier but the bodies of the missing men have not yet been found.