YACHTING FATALITY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 2251, 15 March 1921, Page 2

YACHTING FATALITY.

Auckland, March 14

The mullet.boat Celox, owned by Mr Dale Spencer, of Ponsonby, while competing in a rnoe to Matiata, was caught by a sudden squall, and sank in twelve fathoms of water, dragging her dinghy ’with her., The occupants were the owner and his son, aged eight, C. Madigou, C. Taylor, G. N. Edon, and G. George. The boy Spencer was presumably drawn inside the cabin by the inrush of water. His father could not swim, and was kept afloat by George and Edson, while the yacht Ngahu manoeuvred to pick them up. The Ngahu dropped her dinghy, which Madigou secured by swimming. Spencer, who was much exhausted, was given a hold" on the gunwhale of the dinghy, but he was washed away by a big sea as George was swimming round and balancing the Small craft. Spencer sank, and was not seen again. Edson and George clung to the dinghy until they were rescued, with Madigon, by the launch Fleetwining. Edson was so exhausted that restorative measures were applied. Taylor was washed some distance from the others, and was picked up by the launch Lnana very exhausted. Spencer, who was a- boat builder. leaves a wife and three children, the eldest five years* and the youngest a few months old.