Two Castaways Rescued On Point Of Starvation

Chronicle (Levin), 20 September 1949, Page 3

Two Castaways Rescued On Point Of Starvation

MELBOURNE, Sept. 19. Haggard and dirty, an Adelaide businessman and a woman were rescued by fishermen after having been cast away on barren Curtis Island in Bass Strait for three and a half weeks. They are Mr. Alexander Hay, aged 47, shipowner, and Miss Thelma Bennett, aged 35. The police are searching for a third man whom Mr. Hay is alleged to have told rescuers was aboard Mr. Hay's yacht, bnt who he now says did not make the trip. Mr. Hay said that he and Miss Bennett left Pori" Adelaide on August 12 in the 22-ton auxiliary ketch Miss Evelyn. Four days out they ran into a storm which carried the mainmast away, smashed the deek and reduced the ketch to a sinking condition. They left the wreck in a dinghy and rowed foi'^26 hours to Curtis Island which Was about 30 mil^s away. The dinghy was wrecked in landing, but all the stores and provisions were landed safely. The two lived on penguin and mutton bird meat, grubs and polluted water. By using the last flare they attracted the atten'tion of a fishing launeh which stood by until the dinghy was able to risk the dangerous landing over the reefs. The castaways said they were near starvation and could not have "lasted much longer.