FISHING BOAT WRECKED.

Shannon News, 24 August 1928, Page 3

FISHING BOAT WRECKED.

NEAR PLIMMERTON. TWO BROTHERS DROWNED. Word was received in Shannon last evening that Messrs Henry Brown and ■Alexander Brown, brothers of Mrs G. Hook, of Shannon, had been drowned during the afternoon by the capsizing of the fishing launch Matakitaki. off the reef at the entrance to Porirua Harbour, about two miles from Plimmerton, at 2.30 p.m. Both men were well-known and respected residents of Paremata, where, for years, they had been sheep-farming at Golden Gate. During the winter mouths they usually engaged in fishing and they were regarded as splendid seamen, with a wide knowledge of local coastal conditions. They had se; nets south of Mana Island on Wednesday, and shortly after noon yesterday they went out in their launch Jo haul them. The Matakitaki was a fairly old 'but very staunch boat, about 35 feet iii length). No other fisherman ventured out in yesterday’s gale. It was a wild afternoon, the wind blowing in fierce squalls; and a big .sea was running tvhen the launch was seen by many watchers fighting her way back to harbour, and consternation reigned when' she was seen to be in trouble.

At 2.35 p.m., Mr D. A. Glover, postmaster at Plimmerton, receiver] an urgent telephone call from Mr E. A. Pickering, of Karelian a Bay, stating that a large launch had met with disaster about half-a-mile from the outer point of the reef which runs out to the northward immediately below Mount Cooper, the high, bold headland between the south side of the entrance to Porirua Harbour and Titahi Ba'y. Mr Pickering said the engine appeared to have stopped, and the launch was struck by a heavy sea which .capsized her. The launch was seen to be floating for about two minutes and then it. disappeared. Mr Glover at once advised the postmaster at Paremata, who immediately got into touch with several launch owners there, with a view to sending assistance. A strong northerly gale was blowing and a heavy sea running) After a hurried conference it was decided that in view of the weather conditions it would be unsafe to go out to the Heads in any launch. A search party was organised, however, and crossing the narrow stretch of water in the upper reaches of the harbour in a rowing boat, they worked their wav along the rocky foreshore towards the reef at the entrance. About lialj a mile from Mount Cooper, Messrs McCurdy and Dim mock found a quantity of wreckage, including part of the cabin and a lifebuoy and two oars from the launch. They continued their search- until darkness fell, but found no trace of the missing men.

In the meantime a party from Titahi Bay had crossed over the hills to search the coast-line. Shortly before 6 o’clock, Mr Glover, watching from the post office at Plimmerton, observed light signals flashing from the slopes of Mount Cooper. He had no signal lamp with which to reply, but with ready resource obtained an oil lamp from the railway station and answered the signals by using his hat as a shut--ter. The signals were remarkably good and Mr Glover was able to read with ease the message: “Launch wrecked. Two lives lost. No sign of life.” A message was also sent stating that Mr Glover’s light was very faint.

Mr Richard Moult, of Titalii' Bay, who is the owner of the -big launch Miss Titalii, used an electric morse lamp from his boat to signal to Plim;nerton. Tic states that the Matakitaki was plainly seen from Titalii Bay returning from the direction of Malcara to Porirua Harbour, evidently with the intention of making port with the tide. 1-Ie considers that the launch would have been perfectly safe if she had run for shelter under the lee of Man a Island*. Henry Brown was 53 years of age, married, with no children. Alexander Brown, aged 48, was married and had fqur children —a boy aged 18, a girl aged 16, and twin gills of 14 years. It is stated that Henry usually looked after the engine and Alexander steered the launch. Both men were wearing having oilskins and sea boots and in all probability Henry Brown was in the engine room when, the boat was overwhelmed. Heavily clad, neither would have much chance in the big seas that were running and breaking henvilv over the rock-bound coast.