TIP HEAD TRAGEDY.

Hokitika Guardian, 31 May 1926, Page 1

TIP HEAD TRAGEDY.

YACHT CAPSIZES. TWO -MEN MISSING. (“ Grey Argus.”} A tragic termination to a fishing expedition at the mouth of the Grey •ivor occurred at about half past six last evening, when the yacht “Glance” was capsized on the south tip and the three occupants thrown into the water, only one, who clung to the overturned boat being rescued, the other two being still missing, and, it is feared, drowned. One of the missing men is Mr I’obert (" Huff ”) Steele, of Jllaketown, a miner employed at Rewanui, aged -lo years. The other man missing is not known, being a stranger to Groymouth, an having been only a few days in the town. The only present known survivor is I Mr .John Gamble, miner, residing in Gressou Street. The tra g«lv, occurred when the three men were returning to the mouth of the river. Although the craft was equipped with a sail, this was not up, the men using paddles to bring it in.

The yacht- was apparently caught by the incoming current, and carried broadside on to the rocks at the end of the south tip bead. Ho lore the men could scramble ashore, another wave carried Oho. boat off the rocks and capsized it, all three occupants) (being thrown into the water. The two missing men were dragged away from, the boat by the backwash of the wave; hut .Mr Gamble succeed-

Oil ill grasping the koc] of the boat inn] resistin'; the water’s efforts to dislodge him. Anotiher wave rolled tlio uptnnied boat completely over the man clinging to it ; hut lie attain succeeded in getting a grip on the edge of the limit and with difficulty pulled himsej aboard the lialf-s wam.ped vessel. I lie other two men apparently at-

tempted to swim up the estuary, and were not again seen by their companion. 'there is little hope that they had succeeded in surviving tlie surf. A search was kept up at the end of

- the South tip Inst night, and Constable r Baird was instructed to search the 5 C’obden side of (lie estuary; hut up to the time of going to press, no trace of tlie missing men was to he found, and no hope was held out of their being alive. A dog which was in the boat was also drowned. SIOXAUIAX’S STORY. Ibe signalman at the tip head, Mr 11. Atoar, when interviewed by an Argus ” representative, was unable to give any details of the occurrence. "1 was attending to the light at the end of t lie tip,” said Mr A [oar, ‘‘and while in the lamp room, f heard cries of distress. 1 went out on to the pin tlorm and saw a boat oil the rocks below. Re fore I could do anything, a, wave came along and washed the boat, in which were several people, off the rocks, and capsyced it. I hurried back to the signal room and got n lifebuoy and a belt: but, on getting back to the platform, I saw that the boat bail drifted out a good way. While T. was watching, the boat was righted by another wave, and I saw a- mail climb into it. A launch was coming in and wont to the rescue of the man in the boat, it was too dark to see "'hat happened to the other men; and 1 did not hear any cries for help, and supposed they had also been picked

up.” SUin’IVOR’S ORDEAL, Interviewed shortly after the tragedy .Mr flninhle, who looked pale and shaken, said lie had had some narrow escapes, hut it was the closest thin,”' he ever wished to experience. lie said that on Saturday he had arranged with -Mr Steele to go lishing in his ((ianihle’s) lather’s yacht. The third man, who was a friend of .Mr Steele, came along at the latter’s invitation. Hotli the speaker and .Mr Steele knew the boat, having sailed it often previously.

“ We started on our return at about five o'clock, having caught no fish during the afternoon. We got on all right until we got near the tip head. On coining round the south wall we were struck by a big swell, and it threw us on to the rocks, and, almost at once, before we had time to get ashore or do anything, another swell came and tipped tlie boat up. 'The three of us were thrown out right on the outside end of the tip, and we got swept out to sea, the boat and all going out. I swam after the boat and got a, grip 011 the keel of it. A swell came along and rolled the boat right over tlie top of me. and I went under. When T came np to tlie. surface I saw the boat bad lighted itself, and I swam to it and climbed ill. The boat was nearly full of water, and I expected it to go down any minute. I saw the other two swimming in the water. I called out to them to swim to the boat, but, instead, they appeared to swim up tho river. It was then about six o’clock and quite dark; I was drifting out to sea, and I lost sight of them. They were only about ten yards away from the rocks when T last saw them. I was drifting round for about a quarter of an hour or twenty minutes, with the water coming in all the time, when I saw a launch heading in towards me. 1 tried to signal hut was afraid of 1 the boat swamping if I moved ■ too much. The driver of the launch, Mr | Gooding, saw me, and headed towards me; but bis engine broke down, and started to drift away ; but it again got going and came alongside my boat, and I was helped aboard. After Mr Gooding got to me his launch again broke down, and he was unable to go to the assistance of the other two for some time. Tie got the launch to go and we went and bad a look round for the others but there was no sign of them, and ns the tide was making, we had to give up the search and make for the shore.”

Questioned ns to the stranger in the boat. Mr Gamble was unable to give any definite description. “ ] didn’t take much notice of him.” he said. “ T met him for the first time at Steele’s house -on Saturday afternoon. I did not hear him called anything but ‘Jim’.' 1 gathered from the way he spoke that lie -was a returned soldier, and had been working on a. road contract at Knikoura. He was about 40 years of ago, and had only been here a few days.” FORMER EXPERIENCES. Mr Gamble has had several unenviable experiences in boats. On one occasion while fishing on the bar in a small dinghy, he was run down and capsized by the dredge, and was only iVseued with difficulty. On several other occasion she has had capsizes in various crafts in the river, but seems to have the proverbial number of lives possesed by a coat. He considered, however, .that- this was the luckiest escape he has yet had. When picked up, Mr Gamble, was in a bad condition as the result of his prolonged immersion in the icy water, but his first remark to his-rescuers was to look for the other'men and the dog which had also gone over-

board. In spite of liis water-soaked

garments, through which the bitterly cold easterly wind was penetrating, lie. insisted 011 the launch continuing the search for the missing men before being put ashore;

The yacht was left anchored off the south tip, and will probably he able to bo salvaged. It was a fifteen-foot craft, of the centreboard type, and was formerly the property of Mr J. Keating. being well-known in regattas on the river. It had only been in the possession of Mr J. Gamble (senr.) since last Monday, and yesterday was the first time it had been used since the change of ownership.

Mr .Steele was a married man with a family of seven children, by whom with his wife, he is survived. lie was a popular and respected resident of Blaketown, and the tragedy cast a gloom over the suburb. It is stated that although he was an average swimmer lie was subject to cramp in the water, and this together with his clothing probably was he cause of his failing to reach safety. Advice received just prior to going to press was to the effect that the other missing man’s name was “ Dargill ” or “ Dnrgell,” but it was impossible to find out any more definite details at the time.