HOLIDAY ACCIDENTS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 699, 27 December 1909, Page 5

HOLIDAY ACCIDENTS.

SAD FATALITY AT THE HEADS. ': A YACHT-OWNER DROWNED. ' ■■'■••■■ "'■' ■ -"'; ■' ' '•'''■- ' ; ' ; ' ; '' : ''■•' Ono of the small fleet of ynohts irliicli set out on. Christmas Evo (or a holiday cruise In; tho Queen Charlotte ' Sounds had a sad homo-coming about four hourß after sho , left- her moorings. ■•> The boat j in question. was tlio well-known ■ secondclass .yacht, .Pntromis, : which'.put baok to' Wellington early on' Christmas morning with tho sad. news that 'her owner, Mr., Wm, Crawford,, of Evans Day, had boon accidentally knocked "overboard, and drownod, when tho boat was outside tho Black Eock. ":.--' ■. : .- x . '" V.;' ;/\. : r The Patronus: loft her '. mooringsin Evans Bay on Christmas Eve, her owner, Mr. Crawford, being represented by » party consisting , of Messrs. C, Jenkins, Kuapp, ; Dennis, ■':': Brookes,'. Ogilvio, Blake, and M'Carrison, ;tho inton-. tion ..being to; niako , Tory Chan- , uel, 'early, 0n' .... Christmas morning,, and spend a , couple of weeks >crui&. ing in tho Sounds.!' There was little'or. no wind when .Mr. .Crawford, who had been,, playing., in '.-.the? orchestra',' at. tho Theatre Koyal,. joined the party on the yacht .at Soatmm (! and tho boat simply drifted out. towards tlio; Heads. On the run past the Black Hock, at .the entrance to tho harbour, the boom was well out and the maiushcet was dragging loosely, on the deck and in the water;, the wind not being sufficient to' fill the sails.■•.- '■ A fairly heavy swell was running, however, by -the time Mr, Crawford had changod his. clothes -and donned a yachting; costume.,andsuit of heavy'oilskins. f'What a glorious night," was his';'comment on coining tip out of tho : cabin when the yacht was close, by the B[ack Bock,; some, time, before/ midnight. ■ > Tho party, .were ; anticipating -the joys of the happy .fortnight, alicad' of them when. the. saiUng-raaster,. Mr. Ci] ! Jenkins, intcrraptedj and ordered the 'crow to "standby for a jibe." Mr.. Crawford was seen !\valking .'towards, tho' : stern- of the'.yacht, ■ and he "stood , there \while the inan at.,the tillor was taking, in .the slack.of-the mainsheet. At this,moment ft light squall struck the yacht,' and'the boom: swung over with; * a";: rush'. .Mr. 'Crawford appeared to" got caught.in .the slack of -.the : mainsheet, which' .was' lying on , the ..deok,v.!md .he ■ was,}, precipitated into.the water. .'■■; '.'■ • : / , .'' i : •..■/ ■',.■■'".' ■;'■'. Mr. Brookes' saw. him ftd ' overboard, and -a" life-bolt was'immediately;thrown in ; tho direction •. from.. which Mr.: Craw-, ford's voice .camb, ns.it was. pitch' dark at the-time, the moon: .being;;ohscuted by a passing cloud.' ! Tho yacht,was. immediately put about to pick Mr. Crawford up. ;Ho was a fairly, good, swimmor, and although hampered by his heavy oilskin ■hp -was apparently' Quito .collected,';and called out/ for the''crew- "to■ "lower-the dillghy." .Spruo, delay was experienced in getting the dinghy, into the. water; as.it had been' socufoly lashed■;. to .-the' 'deck to. prevent it moving: in '■ the' event .of ; i> heavy l , sea ■bein'g - : encountered when going through/tho •Terawhiti -'-'rip."-.!■:.' ■.-•.,.:■■-,:.;, ■Three of the crew.got into tho dillghy aftor a fe.\r ininutes' delay,, and irowed about- searching for;llr. Crawford,'liut they received Ino response .to thoir;, calls, and "soon' began to fear Iho'worst. Tho search 'continuedJforincarlj'".an',hVur,'lbut oventvially.; the.. searchers had. to give up! .They, located' the.life-bolt,';'|iut'it is believed: t'hut' : 'Mr;.Crawford was never' on the belt.';Tho;yacht;was headed for,home after, it : had been decided : that further search would ;bo ueoless/' arid. the L fatality tras:; Tbpdrted.';'to»-.-- : the. -;policed, at '!■■ 3.3o o'clotk on Christmas morning. '' ■>'■■ ■'.-,';■■'>' "!• Search., parties-,.wcre .put', on .the coastlino . from :.tho, ijcacls; to' - Island; BayV; on Christmas Bay > and-,■yesterday; , ■ but 1 , so' fat tho. body: has. hot ■■been - recoyere'd:\; A very heavy, sea-has been running oh,the beach since Saturday morning. .;.•;. ,'. .Deceased; who served, his apprenticeship on the, Auckland "Herald, , " .'was 'employod as. a. storeotypor in TnE Dominios office,: and had formerly worked in tho office of.quri'byonißg contemporary. /He was : 'about ;38' ■years of:'age,\' and leaves-a. wife and' five ' .children. '- Mr. Crawford was just „. beginning/ ft fprfc night's holiday/and his 1 wife and family had left Wellington': for Christchurch< on Friday to spend a.holiday in':the snuthefn city.'.Deceased,:who' has"a-brother,liyihg at Johnsbnvillo, was an enthusiastic, and oapable yachtsman,. :"and a. well-known bandsman and member of the' Wellington Professional- Orchestra. His high (personal qualities iron him. the esteem. nnd goodwill of his associates j ..his • kindly good nature. and-' readiness; to help ward■ any > worthy : cause' .• ' being widely, known. "' ' The, flags: Pn all .tho'yachts in the. Boat Hnrbour . : vrere flowa dt half-mast on Saturday,- as-. a nark of respect to : deceased. ■'■;'..;;'. :