STRANDED PLANE

Hokitika Guardian, 31 May 1932, Page 5

STRANDED PLANE

ADVENTURES OF TWO AIRMEN

(British Official Wireless.)

RUGBY, May 28

Two airmen, of whom one, Captain Scott, is secretary of the Skegness Aero Club, and a former competitor in the King’s Cup race, were .rescued under dramatic circumstances yesterday from an isolated sandbank in The Wash, upon which they were stranded.

They had made a forced landing owing to engine- trouble, and being unable to re-start the*, machine, endeavoured to attract attention. Failing in this, they stripped and attempted to swim five miles to the shore, but were beaten back by the strong currents. The rising ,tide had washed away their clothes when they returned to the sand-bank, and they had no matches, with which to light te flare. They attempted to ignite two petrol soaked mats by’ means of the sun’s rays through the lens of a powerful camera but were unsuccessful. As a. last expedient, one airman swung a propallor, while' the other held 'the mats near the magnets, and after an hour and a-haif’s efforts, when the tide had reached the top of the bank, a spark set the mats- alight. The bodywork was next fired, and the blaze attracted the attention of tho skipper anfl crew of a motor tradei, who were, able to rescue the naked airmen.