DROWNING ACCIDENT AT THE WELLINGTON HEADS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume II, Issue 279, 20 August 1889, Page 3

DROWNING ACCIDENT AT THE WELLINGTON HEADS.

. + Three op the pilot cuew drowned. A sad drowning accident occurred at the Heads on Saturday evening by wbicb Pilot Simm. and two member. of the pilot crew, Herbert Cox and Eobert Tait, lost their lives. It appears that tbe boats orew, consixt.ng o' Pilot Thomas E. Simm* (who was in uhange), Robert Tait, Herbert Cox, ( Tames Vass, and Jobn Heudei>ou, .e>'' tbe station in Woi sir Bay at nliout 4 o'clock for the ship Pleione, irom Pjr 1 Chalmers, she having signalled for a pilot to bring her into port. T er*. was a strong southerly wind blow int; »nd a ceavy sea running, and rhe n;-w > xp-ri-enced great difficulty in ijink.n-. an> headway agaiuHt it. Af er a liHid pull they reached the inner end of Barrett'" Reef, and tbe sail was then hoisted and they took a stretch ac •*•»-•. the tntraoce aad back, but findin_ bey were unable to make much ground >h s wuy they resorted to the oars again. Alter pulling a short diM'auce ibe stenrner HeraM (bound for Greymouth) *as -een coming down tbe eotianiri'. The crew putled over to ber, and Pum Simruhailed her, »■•<! called out tor a row iiue, which wis readily giren. his was about two houra alter tiu_\ imd left tbe station. Thei boat was 1 oned sa 'ely for about 10 minutet*, wbeu --.mtdei-.y a beavy sea struck her, aud Hite en <• zed All the crew, witb tbe excep- i"n 0 Tun clambered on to the keel. The lv cr was tbe oniy oue of the crew w 1,0 c uid not swim, and Henderson seized him and dragged bitn on tbe boat, which tben righ ied itself, and ibe men were enabled, witb some difß.-nl'j, to ttet iuto her. She whs, howe .1, full ol water, and there was of c>u v no' the s'ightest chance of baiting \> r The gunwales were under water, aud the oc cupants had to stand up in the centre to keep ber steady. Immediately the boat capsized, Captain Jones of the Herald, lowered tbe steamer's lifeboat and burned blue lights and ient up rockets, but was unab c to see anything of the pilot boat. In the meantime tbe latter was drifting away, aud although the unfortunate occupants cried aloud for help, they were unheard by those on board tlie steamer. They drifted helplessly about at tbe mercy of tbe waves, expecting every moment to be washed away, tor had a sea struck the boat, nothing could bare --aved th* tu. Tbey were a 1 very much exhausted and quite benumbed hv tbe piercing cold wind, au'l at one ol the survivor" say*-, I " If Uie fteamer bad been t little I ogei* they would uot have cared whe hor she came or not After they had been tossing abont for over half an hour the s a. Herald came up with tbem. Lives wt re immediately thrown to eacb of the m- v aod Henderson wbo had divested him self of most of his clothes, 1 lumbered ou board, followed by Vass, who sustainu<) an injury to his baok through beiug jammed between the steamer and the boat before ha reached the deck. The other three meu also got hold of tha line, but they were too exhausted to pull themselves up, and being hampered by their wet olothes and heavy sea boots, which were full of water, fell back helpless into the sea, and were drowned. Vass thought that Cox had got safely on board, as he saw him climbing up the rope in front df him, but it is thought that his strength muut have failed him at 1 the last moment. It is supposed that . Pilot Suums bad caught hold of Ta t whili , the latter waa endeavouring to reaoh the , deck, as he was heard to cry out, " Oh, 'don'theavameoffl" Tha shore haa beei - gtarched tor tha bodies bat as yet witbaul iUCt*W.—N. Z t Tints*