A CLOSE CALL.

Hokitika Guardian, 29 September 1925, Page 4

A CLOSE CALL.

('ill FT STKWAIiII'S EXPERIENCE. AT( Ki.A.M'. September . A thrilling nrcuitui oi l ii.- Iminderill:- i,l i in- l limn ( i-11ij•:i ny s Karaiuu i.il’ li.f- Mini!i- a< t (:i 1 • "1 T;i<nmni;i cm '' -pfembei ith. j-ivii liv 'li A. N. Thorne, ( Itiei steward i>l ill-* vessel, who :m i-i'-l in Auckland by (he \V !I:: I! pipe. Air Thorn paid a tribute to Mr I’. W. While, <l l i. • I ohilli- 111 ill' KMMMM . it IK I Mr Strath, thinl oiiii er ol til" Karnmu. tvhn res-ned iiini a-, in- v.a-. being swept nil to tin- rni'lts l.v the I envy m ;is. Shortly a free signals Imm! been exchanged between til.' foundering VCSM-1 si ml the K ilium, which wsi -t standing liy, jin■ i>;i fittions wort- made to li'ilM' tin- ship. Kotir raffs «viv roustriu-tod li'omi gra t i Jims. lil'ehttnys anti oil drum*. .Mr Tlii.riir Mils lirsl MiaM overboard. Wh-nt in- was safely oil tin- rul't. the 111]n■ > u rn- cast oil'. I'liliii l umm trly

the r:\tt drifted to the. Mri'ii of the Kuramn. ati'l uhi-M she sank the site--111 i-i drew tin- frail gtat in g down. Mr Thul'lle -aid l.r v.a- submerged to it roM.-iilrrahlr ilojitli before his lifebelt brought, him to tin'- surface again. The raft wa- Moating in-arhy. ami he wa- ahlr to rearh it .safely. Ihr Katina passed olosr in shore and ropes v.ore thrown to him. fait 101 l -holt. Tlii- raft was hemp, lilted toward the fin I; - im a Iteavv -n ter. I It new Unit when i hit I would ho dashed to pieces," said .Mr Thorne.

Then I heard shouts, and saw two m-'M pulling a ship's dinghy toward me tinder t reinemhm- diliieuity. Tltev were .M-'-srs White and Strath. Attei a hard battle a lew yards from the fork wall iheyjgoi me clear.'"

I he conduct of Air White has boon the subject of miteh continent among the rescued seamen. The day before the Karanm -an!; he had tin; lifeboat manned, and after a fruitless attempt to reach the foundering vessel was just able to reliii'ii to t!:e Katina before the lifeboat was swamped, lie biter made a second attempt with a second lifeboat. bnt it tuts swamped in the launching.