ACTIVE SEARCH

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20006, 3 August 1939, Page 4

ACTIVE SEARCH

MISSING YACHTSMAN SCOURING THE COASTLINE AEROPLANE AND LAUNCH NO TRACE FOUND An all-day search by launch and aeroplane in the neighbourhood of East Cape was conducted yesterday, whilst parties of Maoris patrolled the greater part of the coastline from Whareponga to Te Araroa in the hope of locating some trace of the missing yacht Titi ancl her owner, Mr. Gordon Moriee, who left Gisborne last Sunday morning for a short cruise in the bay. The day’s operations, however, produced a negative result. By arrangement with the defence authorities, a military aeroplane was to leave ITobsonville air base this morning to assist in the search for the missing yacht, the scope of the plane’s search being ofTshore in the Bay of Plenty. The use of a seaplane for this work was sought, but no suitable machine of this type was available. The military land-plane is believed to be one of the long-range bombers held at the Auckland air base, and should have ample cruising range for the purposes of the search, though in the event of the yacht being found the plane will be unable to effect an immediate rescue of its occupant. The Tokomaru Bay Harbour Board’s launch Tuna was dispatched from Tokomaru Bay shortly after breakfast yesterday and spent the greater part of the day searching along tile coastline to the south of East Cape, proceeding as far as Reporua, from where the missing craft was reported to have : been last seen on Monday afternoon. An arrangement had been made for the launch to work in conjunction with Mr. S. J. Blackmore’s Avian Sport aeroplane from Rotorua, but low clouds and poor visibility militated against the success of these plans. The launch crew reported that the plane disappeared into the clouds shortly after they commenced operations. It had been intended to accompanying the machine out to sea and thus operate together. Launch Meets Bad Conditions The Tuna swept an area eight, miles off the coast and subsequently worked down along the coastline investigating all likely outlying sheltering places. A big swell was running on the coast, which added to the difficulty of the search, and a particularly heavy sea was observed off East Cape. Frequent rain squalls were encountered and the launch had a rough time. A call was made at “Orange Bay,’’ the southern end of Waipiro Bay, to refuel, and the Tuna arrived back at Tokomaru Bay about 4 p.m. Discussing the position last evening, Captain S. J. Plummer, harbourmaster at Tokomaru Bay, said a south-south-east wind had prevailed yesterday and tile drift had been shorewards all day. He failed to understand why the craft had not turned up on the coast somewhere. Aerial Observations The Rotorua aeroplane, piloted by Mr. Blaekmore, and accompanied by Mr. Ted Gillingham, as observer, took off from Opotiki at 10.30 o’clock yesterday morning to resume operations for the second day. The fliers examined the coastline from East Cape to Tuparoa. The pilot reported that visibility was variable, being particularly good in the Bay of Plenty, but patchy and bad off East Cape. They struck bad weather and heavy rain squalls ofT the Ranfurly Bank to the north of East Island. The ’plane subsequently turned inland and landed on the Ruatoria landing ground in Mr. R. H. Wicksteed’s paddock at 12.30 p.m. After lunch and refuelling Mr. Blaekmore took oil again and flew out over East Cape, eventually making an arc back over the Bay of Plenty towards White Island, and returning to Opotiki at 4 o’clock. Maoris Keeping Watch In the meanwhile arrangements had been made by Mr. E. Moriee, of the Native Department’s staff at Ruatoria, a cousin of the missing man, for parties of Maoris to search the intervening coastline between Whareponga, near Waipiro Bay, round as far as Te Araroa. Maoris travelling along the coast were instructed to keep a sharp look-out for the missing boat. The beaches were specially patrolled to the south of the Cape, but without result. Mr. Moriee is directing the search operations from Ruatoria in conjunction, with Mr. Harry Moriee, Tiniroto, and Mr. James Moriee, Whakatane, brothers of the missing yachtsman. Seen by Maoris. Questioned as to the accuracy of the reported sighting of the missing craft on Monday, Mr. E. Moriee informed a Herald representative last night that the report, reached Mr. Price, the Tuparoa schoolmaster, from two different sources. The boat was seen by two Maoris, a young man and an elderly man, Messrs. Weehi Houia and Tere Houia respectively. They saw the boat from two different places at Reporua, one at 3 p.m. and the other at 3.30 p.m. Both described the launch as a two-masted boat, light in colour, with bare masts and that it was facing in a southerly direction, evidently hove-to with a sen anchor. The fact that the two reports coincided and tallied with the description of the missing boat was regarded as evidence of confirmation. No trace of the missing craft having been found to the south of East Cape, the opinion is held that the Titi must have been blown to sea beyond this headland.