Six Dead And Twenty-five Rescued

Chronicle (Levin), 14 November 1949, Page 5

Six Dead And Twenty-five Rescued

(N.Z.P.A.-

-Reuter.

Copyrtght)

Received Monday, 10.45 a.m. LONDON, Nov. 13. There were 25 survivors from the Spanish ship Monte Gurugu, Tyhich sank early today off Lundy Island, in the BristoJ Channel; in one of the year's worst gales. Six seamen are dead and six missing. The Monte Gurugu sank after her boilers had burst oi? Lundy Island soon ai'ter mountainous seas had smashed in a . steel plate in the ship's bow. When darkness fell loeal lifeboats gave up the search for the remaining survivors.

First messages, later proved false, said that the ship had strucx a drifting mine and was afire. The Monte Gurugu was fully laden wnh coal when she left Newport yesterday for Genoa. The first news of the sinking came from Lloyds, which picked up an S.O.S. saying that the crew was abandoning ship and wanted help quickly. The British tanker Port Frederica then radioed that she had sighted the Monte Gurugu and had seen her go down. The Port Frederica abandoned the search when she failed to find any lifeboats. Meanwhile, the Monte Gurugu's S.O.S. was heard in North Devon towns and lifeboats wentf out from Clovelly, Appledore and Ilfracombe. They found one of the Monte Gurugu's lifeboats smashed. The Ilfracombe lifeboat later returned to port with 19 survivors after battling in heavy seas for four hours. It left again immediately to continue the search. The lifeboat from Appledore picked up six men floating in the sea, but only one was alive. Among the survivors brought ashore by the Ilfracombe lifeboat was the Monte Gurugu's skipper. The survivors suffered from the effects of exposure. Some of the men wore only a singlet and pants, not having had time to get other elothes before abandoning ship. Captain's Story. The captain said that he noticed

Jthe ship sinking at the bows early 1 today. The sterh was running out of water and he could not turn the vessel when he tried to head for shelter. Big waves broke the rudder and finally smashed the side of the ship. Water poured in and the ship exploded and sank. Three lifeboats were lowered, one of which is still missing.