ALL NIGHT ON A REEF

Hokitika Guardian, 1 October 1920, Page 4

ALL NIGHT ON A REEF

VICTORIAN FISHERMEN’S

ADVENTURE,

SYDNEY, Sept. 15

Three Geelong fishermen—G. F. and Frank Stephens (father and son) and W. Dunk—had an extraordinary escape from drowning last week. Only their presence of mind and forethought saved them,

The men had been away along the coast in a big motor-beat fishing. On Wednesday last they set out on their return to the little port of Queenscliff, but the trip took them a little longer than the expected, and it was 11 p.m. I and black and stornVy when they rounded the lighthouse ancl headed into the harbour. They somehow’ mistook the direction, and first tiling they knew, their boat had crashed on a reef. The boat was seriously damaged and began to sink immediately, The two older men guessed where they were, and realised the gravity of their position. They were on a half submerged rock, exposed to the full wash of the sea. The rising tide would put from four to fi.Ve feet of water over the rock, and there was deep water all round. The promptitude with which they acted undoubtedly saved their lives. Instead of trying to save the more valuable objects from their sinking boat, they jumped for, and obtained a couple of grappling irons, with long ropes attached. With these the three of them got out on to the rock just as the motor-boat sank. The tide was rising and the rock was awash. The three men went carefully over the rock, and found a deep broken crevice. Into this they wedged the grappling irons as firmly as they could. They tied the ropes together, and then each man was tied to the ropes. Then they sat down )vnd grimly awaited the oncoming tide. It was a night of bitter cold, and their plight can be imagined. The rising water did not worry them; it was the tearing rush of the waves over the reef which, they feared. The water rose to their knees and to their waists, and as it became deeper the great waves plucked savagely at them, and tried to tear them from their precarious hold. But the grappling irons held, and the ropes did not break. Again and again they were wash ed off their feet and disappeared under water, but they always got back on totheir feet again and secured another breath of air. After some hours the

tide began to fall, and they did not have to fight so hard. When the light came they were still standing in water, almost completely exhausted. Tho light-house keoper fortunately saw them almost at once, and be put off in a boat and rescued them from their perilous situation. All three, although extremely exhausted, made a rapid. recovery.