YACHT FOUNDERS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 882, 28 January 1930, Page 11

YACHT FOUNDERS

FIVE SURVIVORS DRIFT IN HEAVY SEAS DINGHY CAST ON REEF From Our Own Correspondent SUVA, January 15. Swamped by heavy seas in a squall off: Makogai Island on December 11. the Fijian Government’s motor yacht. Lady Escott, foundered. There was no loss of life, but the crew drifted in heavy weather on a dinghy and a raft all the following day, before they were found by the yacht Pioneer. Mr. W. Wise, Commissioner of Works, and Dr. Montague, were on the Lady Escott when it left Suva on December 6. Nabouwalu and Labasa were visited, and the Lady Escott anchored off Dalice, Makogai Island, at 8 p.m. on December 10. The next morning the vessel moved round to Nasau, Mr. Wise and Dr. Montague going ashore. While they were there a strong squall arose, and, as the Lady Escott was dragging at her anchor, Captain Blakelock decided to return to Dalice. Strong gusts of wind caught the yacht and heavy seas broke over the sides. The sails were unmanageable and the engine-room was quickly swamped. The vessel sank quickly and the dinghy and the life rafts were launched. As Captain Blakelock stepped into the dinghy with his 12-year-old son, the Lady Escott plLinged bow first beneath the surface. The oars had been washed from the dinghy, which drifted on to a reef and capsized. The captain and his son, bruised and bleeding, fought back to tho dinghy and entered it. although it was waterlogged. The engineer and two seamen had found safety on one of the rafts. During the next day, December 12, the raft and the dinghy drifted northward about 10 miles. Each party thought the other to be dead. Captain Mullins, of the resetring vessel Pioneer, worked out the direction the ralt and the dinghy may have drifted, and found his estimate to be correct. The survivors of the wreck were famished when they were found.