FOU MAORIS MISSING

Chronicle (Levin), 30 April 1949, Page 5

FOU MAORIS MISSING

Press Association)

Binghy Swamped In Harbour At Tauranga •

(Per

AUCKLAND^ April 29. In spite of intensive. &ea.r?he? by launches and alpng (he Tauranga Haroour fronts tonight, fo.ur Maoris missing from a swamped dinghy had not aeen found at a late ho.ur. The missing men were among a party of eijght • Alaoris who attempted to. eross Tau-. ranga Harbour from the to.wn wharf to the aerodronie ivharf on the Mo'unr Maunganui side of the harbour. The dinghy swamped in midstream and only f'our of the occupants were rescued. Tlie missing. men are: — , Alatthew" Dixon, aged 56, farm lab- ' ourer, Alatapehi. Toru Afacmillan, aged 36, farm labourer, of Alatakana. ; ; Alick Ririnui, aged 38, labourer, of \laungatapu. Rangi Gear, aged 40, labouer, of Alatapehi. Ihe eight men left Tauranga to.wn , ivharf at 6.15 p.m. in a IH'L dinghy ' powered by an out'ooard motor, to atcend a tangi on the Alount Alaungabui ■u de of Tauranga Harbour. In mid'itreaui on the crossing of little more : chan a .mile the dinghy swamped. The conditions on the harbour were cairn. Cries for help were heard from the shore and Constable Aloloney, who was at the town wharf, went out with one of the first .of the large fleet of searchIng launches. Constables Wakelin and Lockie foilowed in other vessels. The first man to be re&cued was found shortly after 6.30 p.m., and the three others were reeovered shortly after. The men found were Duke Ngatai, Raka Dixon and Pohete Ngatai, and a boy Ririnui. Alany launches searched the harbour with searchlights and torches tonight, the Faulkner Ju-othcrs plaeing their fleet ot eommereial vessels at the disposal oi tlie police.