BOATING PARTIES IN TROUBLE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 71, 17 December 1917, Page 6

BOATING PARTIES IN TROUBLE

A DAMAGING SOUTHERLY

NAVAL OFFICER LOSES HIS LIFE

The southerly gale which swept tho harbour yesterday nftcrnnou brought trouble to a number of yaching partu*. An nccirlcnt in which Petty-Officer F. Sandalls, of a British warship, lost his life occurred at Ngahauranga soon after the gale came up. Pettv-Officer Sandalls and another man from the vessel (Percivnl Georgo Carey) had gone cut in a boat, ana wheii about 50 lards olf the shore this boat capsized. The two men hung on for some time, and then decided U swim for the land. Carey went ahead all right, but Sandalls had not gone far when he collapsed. Carey reached the shore without.being much exhausted. The bodv of Petty-Officer Sandalls was recovered by Phil Hunt, a lad ct 14 years. There was a choppy s-'a and a strong backwash from the wall, but voting "Hunt stuck to his task pluckilv, and brought the body ashore. The last few yards were very difficult to negotiate, and those who witnessed the struggle speak in terms of the highest praise of the bravery of U* lad. When Hunt's difficulties seemed greatest his sister stood on the beach wall and urged him on. It is worth mentioning that Hunt has been trained in life-saving, and holds a certificate for this kind of work. He is a son of Mr. Hunt, stationmaster at ;\gaDrs. Giimer and Arthur proceeded to the scene rf the accident, but PettyOfficer Sandal's was dead when brought ashore.

A CAPSIZE AT KARAKA BAY. A GOOD SAVE. A boating accident cave the people of Karaka Bay a thriir of anxious excitement yesterday afternoon At about 330 p.m. the light southerly breeze changed suddenly .to'half a gale of wind, raising a particularly ugly_ sea in the entrance only suited to weatnerlv craft. At that time the 16-foot linltdecked centre-board boat Nark, when about half a mile off Paul s Point, was seen to iibe, and then, getting tho in 1 force of a squall, she laid over and took in a lot of water. She rose again heavily, only to be laid over again, and this time she filled and went on to her beam ends, the crew of four young men hanging on to whatever they could find, as sea after sea washed over them. Bv tide greatest good fortune for them i»'bent owned and manned by-Messrs. W. Pownall and James Fraser, of KaraV Bav (who had with them Mr. HaioW White), was returning home from a fishing trip, driven in by the dangerous look of the weather, and they sighted the overturned boat. In six or seven minutes' battling with .an adverse tide and a heavy wind tliey managed to get close enough to call out to the boys to leave the Nark. The best swimmer amongst them at once dashed for the rescuing boat, and in floundering on board nearly swamped the craft. Mr. Pownall.nt once ordered him to get back into the water and hang on behind, ns it would have endangered the lives of all to take the wrecked crew on board, limn commenced a long, hard pull for the slioro, the four young men hanging en to the stern, with tho danger every moment that the little boao would ce swamped by a following sea. Ihere was no chance of pulling straight in to tho beach owing to a strong oft-shoro set, so the watchers along the road had to watch the painful spectacle r f "a long pull and a strong pull tn tho part of Messrs. Fraser and Pownall, who luckily are good hoatemen and knew their job. . Partial relief was given them when they were off tho Karaka Bay wharf, when one of the men (W. R. Thomas) struck out for tho wharf and made it. Another tried to perforin the same font, but had to he picked up again in obvious difficulties, 'llien Mr. fcrlC Mabin put off in Mr. John Biodic s dino-hv, and brought one man a shore, and" Messrs, Garrett and Pliinmor launched a boat and secured another man, who was feeling the effect of Ins Ion" submersion. Before this the other man (Campbell) had been helped Ml board the Pownnll-Fmser craft, as. he looked close to the end of his physical resources. All the boats got ashore in time with their men after a hard tussle with the wind and waves, and the residents of the bay, Messrs. W. R Bock, P. Latham, D. K. Blair, and Mrs. Powoall among them, gave all the aid they could to the exhausted men. In two cases the men had to he put to bed, and ministered to with hot drinks. Another was given treatment to restore animation to his deadened feet and legs. Great credit is duo to Messrs. Pownall and Fraser for the timely aid they rendered, and tho tool manner in which they, under grave difficulties, did the essential thing. Mr. Pownall all but collapsed on reaching the shore opposite Mr. Eggers's residence (two miles from the■ scene of tho original trouble), and Mr. Fraser sustained a severe gash in the sole of his right foot. Die only other accident was to R. A. Campbell (one of the crow), who in hanging on to the rescuing boat npned'Wthumb badly on a nail. The crew of tho Nark (which ordinarily moors in the Boat Harbour), consisted of Messrs. W. R. Thomas, U. A. Campbell, Arthur ton, and W. Ridley. There had been three others m the partv (Messrs. M. Campbell, Bert. Lee, and' John M'Lcan), but these were in the Nark's dinghy at the time, and the fact that they wwe half swamped at tho time the Nark capsized precluded them from attempting anything in the nature of rescue work. As a. matter of fact the Nark was manoeuvr- „„ to pick up the di? ? bv wlien the rouble occurred. The lads were supplied with drv clothing by the bay le- « and'in less than two hours after they landed they were able to leave for town. . A little Inter the Nark was thrown no on the Scorching Bay beach, little the worse for its experience.

YACHTINC PASTY CAPSIZED. .Another Imatinis accident occurred at 3 30 p.m. rostwlnv ot Wry Bm. but if • , not. nttpwlnd with any serous di etjs. r,rs I the result of heme rtnick: Jy a in Sri soWous nltf* when pulled out of the w^atcr.

IN TROUBLE OFF WARD ISLAND. A partv consisting of two adults am] „ 1 ilcl from Miramnr , w ,t of a small own boat neai „,kI. Fortunately for the onrv launch Dauntless saw the,; J J ffP „t tn the lescue. 'he law * ..ventipllv lamled the party at tiie Clyde Quay Boat Harbour.