WORKERS DROWNED

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 418, 30 December 1932, Page 5

WORKERS DROWNED

(Press Assn.-

COLLISION IN NAPIER ROADSTEAD CAUSES DISASTER SEVERAL MEN MISSING

— By Teiegrkpn — Copyrlght)

Napier, Thursday. One watersider was drpwned, 1.0 were unaccounted for and a j2th was lying in hospital suffering from shock as a result of a cojlision between two vessels at the (entrance to the inner harbour at Napier at 11.30 last night. The hody of J. M. Medcalfe has been recovered, while those still missing are W. Wilmot, H. Johnston, A. Boyd, E. Cooper, R. Applin, J. Wilson, senior, J. Woods, W. Andrews, Tom Kilt, and N. Lowe. The man in hospital is J. Harrison, who is reported to have recovered considerably since he was admitted. The launch Doris was returning from the roadstead, where an overseas vessel had heen worked. It had a party of 31 watersiders on board. At the entrance to the inner harbour the launch collided with the Riehardson's Company vessel Te Atu, and sank. Twenty men, including Harrison, who is in hospital, are known to have reached shore alive. The body of Medcalfe was recovered, but at an early hour this morning nothing -was known of the fate of 10 others. The tug Coralie, which was following the Doris, picked up several men, while others were rescued hy the ferry launch Naomi. Known to Be Dead The dead are as follows: — Mr. John H. Wilson, Port Ahuiri, aged 67 years, married, with three ©gxown-up children. Mr. Jethro Henry Emerson Medcalfe, aged 48 years, married, with one child. Mr. James Woods, majried, one daughter. Still Missing Those still missing are as follows: Mr. Robert C. Applin, West Shore>, aged 58 years, married, seven children. Mr. Alec Boyd, aged 50 years, West Shore, married, two children. Mr. Tom Kilt, aged 40 years, Port Ahuriri, married, one child. Mr. H. Johnston, aged 40 years, married, West Shore. jMr. E. Cooper, aged 32 years, married, four children. Mr. N. Lowe, aged 35 years, married, four children. Mr. W. Andrews, aged 40 years, married, three children. The Rescued Those who were also aboard the launch but who were either picked up or managed to reach shore safely were Messrs. L. Harrison (who were ordered to the Napier Hospital suffering from shock), W. Wilmot, F. Dunn, C. Le Geyt, H. Pratt, W. Boyd, R. Jones, W. Joseprs, H. Oemcke, P. Jones, R. Nimmo, B. Eddy, P. S. Wilson, B. Plunket, H. Manning, D. MeKinney, J. Forne, A. Withington P, Nihem'a, an E. Mentzer (lannchman) . Promptness and thoroughness marked the searching and rescue work which followed the capsize of the Doris, but it failed, unfortunately, to save the lives of any of the 10 men for whose safety there were f ears immediately after the first reckoning of the survivors had been made. Every Effort Made Three vessels were engaged in an intensive search less than half-an-hour after the Doris was struck. The Napier Harbour Boards' launch Ponui, under the harbourmaster, Captain H. White-Parsons, was eruising in the roadstead until th& early morning hours, but none of the 10 men was saved. Private launches, rowing boats, and small dinghies joined in the search shortly after daybreak, and the roadstead was dotted with small craft covering a wide area. Search By Plane A few minutes after 11 o'clock an aeroplane piloted by Flying Ofiicer A. C. Gerrand, of the Hawke's Bay and East Coast Aero Club, accompanied by Captain Smith, official observer of the Napier Aero Club, swept oyer the area surrounding the spot where the Doris capsized. The plane returned shortly after mid-day, xeporting that no trace had been seen of any of the missing men. Help at ffand It was Mr. James Joseph, of West Shore, who findxng himself flung clear of the vessels, hit out at once for the shore, and arrived on land to summon assistance for those whose lives were still in danger. It was f ortunate "that the tng Coralie was following close in the wake of the Doris at the time of the accident, and on arrival of the Naomi it was seen that the TuAtu and the Coralie were close together. Those in the latter vessel had immediately set to work to rescue the men who had heen thrown into the water. Eleven were on board the tug. The Naomi searched in the vicinity for some time, but failed to find any more survivors, and shortly afterwards left to land those who had heen picked up by the Coralie.