IN MID-OCEAN.

Hokitika Guardian, 29 October 1928, Page 8

IN MID-OCEAN.

THRILLING RESCUE,

EPIC OF TASMAN STORM

SYDNEY, October 11. The story of the rescue of two sailors who were washed overboard fro'm the auxiliary schooner Piri, while on route from Greymouth to Sdney, was one of the most thrilling of its nature ever told. The two men, John William Laing and William Graham West were snatched from what seemed to be certain death, and none realises it \better than they do themselves. Laing said on arrival: “We just 'clung together and for the end.” It wag after they had abandoned all hope, and when they were being attacked by flocks of screaming mollyliawks, that the expert seamanship of Captain W. C. H. Watt asserted itself and they were pulled on board. Theirs was, indeed a remarkable escape from death. The Piri is only a tiny vessel of 259 tons gross, and the men who are prepared to brave the elements in the Tasman Spa in such a ship are heroes enough. Laden with lumber for discharge at Sydney and Melbourne, the Piri left Greymouth on September 23rd and immediately ran into a succession of westerly gales. Huge waves swept the ship from stern to stein and every movable object on the vessel had to he lashed down.- Two clays after leaving port the Piri encountered .the worst weather experienced on the .voyage. Bleak winds and tremendous seas continued throughout the day. About 4\ p.m., when .the watches were being ’ changed, Laing and West were standing on the deck clinging to the rail near the. stein, waiting to be relieved. The relief had just arrived and the excluinige of duties was albout to be performed, when a, huge wave dashed over the ship.

Despite their frantic efforts to retain a hold, on the rail the two men were swept before the wave and carried over the stern into the sea. Immediately the cry of “man overboard was raised. The mate grasped two lifebouys and threw them towards the struggling men. For some time Laing ancl West disappeared from sight of the men on deck. Suddenly they reappenred on the crest of a wave, and it was them seen that they had been able to secure one of the buoys. By the time the Piri had turned back, the men, who even then had ceased to struggle (because of the apparent hopelessness of thir position, were about half a mile astern. The mate climbed the rigging, and from the top of the mast was able to direct the navigation of the boat.

As the Piri bore down on Laing and his companion, preparation were made to drag the men on board if the vessel rolled in their direction. All the crew lined the rails with this object in view. By careful navigation and expertt seamrfiiahJp Captain [Watt manoeuvred his ship alongside the men. Just as success seemed probable a wave caught the Piri and tossed her like a cork in the wrong direction, and the two men disappeared in a trough of a wave. Again the captain turned His ship, and once more the crew leant over the side, each hoping to effect a rescue. The suspense was nerve-wrecking as the vessel approached the men. On this occasion Captain Watt slowed down the engines Avhen almost (alongside the lifebuoy and the vessel rolled over in the right direction. The men were at once seized by willing hands, who draggd them, on to the deck. Here is Laing’s story of his adventure: “When I went over the side I ,said to myself, “It’s all up now.” I saw the lifebouv come out after us, but I had to swim 50 yards before I reached it. My oilskin and clothei impeded every movement, (but I was afraid to remove them for I thought I might become entangled in them if a wave struck me. I pushed the bony towards West, wfiho had succeeded in freeing himself of his Oilskin. e both grasped at the buoy and waited for the end. We could not see the Piri. She had disappeared altogther. Then we saw her coming back. • We knew that no ship’s boat could live in such a sea. When the Piri passed us by the first time we despaired of ever being rescued. The Piri sank down in a trough of a wave and we could see only the top of the masts. When the Piri approached us the, second timewo both managed to grasp the rail of the ship, near where we went over. If it had not been for Captain Watt’s handling of the ship we would not have been here to-day. All the time we were in the water wc were <•<.repelled to beat off the mollyhaks 'hat were peeking at our hands, am! therefore we were in danger all the time of losing our grip on the lifebuoy.

The Piri enjoyed two fine days at sea before it entered the harbour, but on arrival it still showed ammo evidence of the buffeting it had received. The crew’s quarters were still soaked with sea water and some of the bedding had not dried.