LEAP FOR LIFE

Hokitika Guardian, 7 April 1932, Page 2

LEAP FOR LIFE

MEN IN PERIL ON TRAWLER

RESCUE BY A LIFEBOAT

LONDON, April 5

Thirty men leaped for their lives into the Filey lifeboat from thi trawler Johannesburg, wrecked on Filey Bi’igg, Yorkshire, -in a strong north-westerly gale. The Scarborough lifeboat was also in attendance.

The trawler went aground early in the morning, and the crew refused to leave when the Filey lifeboat went to their rescue, hoping that they would be able to refloat the vessel on the night tide. Twenty-one local fishermen joined the crew on the trawler to give assistance when refloating the boat, but the wind freshened and went round to the north. With a roughening s ea and coming storm the Filey lifeboat again went out to the Johannesburg, calling for the assistance of the new Scarborough motor-lifeboat Herbert Joy 11. After considerable difficulty the Filey lifeboat, which is of the old rowing asd sailing type, got alongside" the trawler;■ 1 whic-h--Was bumping heavily on the Brigg and ‘taking waiter, * A -huge sea swept the trawler and heeled her right over, while the thirty men lined her rails and jumped together ifrto the lifeboat, falling on top of each other and across tlie oarsmen while 'they pulled hard away from the Brigg. Immediately the men had jumped the trawler righted herself and slid off the 'Brigg into deep water, swinging round almost on to the lifeboat, which, however, drew away in time and made for the shelter of the Brigg, where some of the men were transferred to the Scarborough lifeboat.

Later, the trawler was successfully beached.