THE TEDDY.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20492, 10 March 1932, Page 8

THE TEDDY.

♦ WRECKED IN HAURAKI GULF. COMPLETE LOSS FEARED. OWNER AND FAMILY RESCUED. (rRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) AUCKLAND, March 9. Disaster befel the Norwegian yacht Teddy this afternoon, the vessel being wrecked on Challenger or Little Kawau Island. The owner and skipper, Erling Tainbs, with his wife and two children, were saved after a harrowing ordeal. Mrs Tambs, who was rescued while clinging to some wreckage, received a severe cut on the head, and Tambs was cut deeply on the leg by the rocks. The children escaped injury. All are staying at the Mansion House, Kawau Island. The accident happened about 1.30 p.m., the Toddy being caught in a heavy swell and dashed on to the rocks. The vessel left Auckland last Saturday for Brisbane, and having called at Kawau Island she left there at 10 a.m. to-day in continuation of her voyage. She was sighted shortly before 1.30 p.m. by the steamer Duchess and was then sailing close to the easterly point of Challenger Island. Apparently all was well. Launch to the Rescue. Subsequently the small fishing launch Ola, owned by Albert Emtage, of Kawau Island, who was on board with a companion, cruised into tho vicinity of the Teddy, and it was seen that the vessel was pounding on the rocks at the south-east side of Challenger Island. Tho Ola immediately rushed to the stricken craft. Mrs Tambs was discovered clinging to a plank on the seaward side of the Teddy, which had its stem hard and fast in a cleft in the rocks. The boom was broken off and seas were washing across the vessel. Mrs Tambs was taken from tho water bruised and exhausted. A» the Ola approached Tambs was scrambling on to the rocks with their threa-year-old son and baby, and by the time he had placed them in safety Mrs Tambs had been picked up. Tambs and the children, who were accompanied by the yacht's mascot, a dog, were then taken on board tho Ola. Wreckage from the yacht was floating in all directions, and by this time the craft was full of water and listing to seaward on her beam ends. While the rescue was in progress the coastal motor-vessel Coronation came in sight, bound from Whangarei Heads to Auckland. At 2.15 p.m., when the Ola was preparing to leave for Kawau Island with the survivors on board, the Coronation camo alongside and offered to help. The survivors were sitting in the cockpit of tho Ola and appeared to be quite cheerful. They elected to return to Kawau. Cause of the Wreck. The skipper of the launch told Captain Robertson, of the Coronation, that the Teddy was proceeding out of the Bouth passage in a light southerly breeze and heavy swell,when she missed stays and was swept ashore. Further assistance not being needed, the Coronation came on to Auckland and the Ola proceeded to Kawau, where Mrs Tambs and the children were cared for at the Mansion House. To-night they were progressing favourably. At 4 p.m. Tambs set out from Kawau Island again in the launch Ola to inspect the wreck. When he returned to Kawau he stated that it was impossible to save anything. /

ASSISTANCE DISPATCHED. ACTION BY YACHTSMEN. [THE PRESS Special Service.] AUCKLAND, March 9. Auckland friends of Mr and Mrs Tambs state that the Teddy was not insured, and that they will be destitute. Captain Wann, of the pleasure steamer Duchess, which arrived in Auckland this evening from Kawau, said it was believed that Mrs Tambs was struck on the head by the boom. When at Kawau he saw Tambs, who bore his loss and the effects of his ordeal in a remarkably stoical manner. He possessed only the clothes in which he stood, and when offered some tobacco he replied that he had plenty on board the Teddy. The fortitude of the courageous father and mother -was reflected also in the demeanour of their small son. When the family was. on the way to Kawau in the Ola after having been snatched, from death by the narrowest of margins, tin child remarked, "Daddy, we can go to Norway in this boat."

Captain Wann, who was met on the arrival of the Duchess in Auckland by officials of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, said it was believed that Mr and Mrs Tambs would remain at the Mansion House for a day or two in order to recover, and that they would then return to Auckland. When the Duchess left Kawau a fresh easterly breeze had sprung up, and large seas were pounding the Teddy. . Subsequently, yachting officials held a brief meeting, as a result of which Messrs J. H. Frater (vice-commodore of the squadron), M. J. Reed, H. J. George, and E. P. Mays left for Kawau in Mr Reed's launch Katherine •g They will arrive early in the morning and on behalf of Auckland yachtsmen will offer their services to Mr and Mrs Tambs. In view of the unfavourable reports of the Teddy's predicament, no arrangements were made with regard to possible salvage, a review of the possibilities having been left until their ar- • -il In view of the information to hand", salvage is considered remote.'