THE PORT TRAGEDY

Taranaki Daily News, 26 September 1921, Page 4

THE PORT TRAGEDY

HEROISM OF THE SJRVIVOR. SdMK FURTHER EVIDENCE. An eye-witnpise of the capeicing of th< Eiasterner’s boat at New Plymouth ot Sunday, the 18th inst., when four met were drowned, gives some corroboratioi of the story of .the mishap as related bv Roy Deekin, the survivor, and his ef forts to save his comrades. The evidence comes from Mr. Fran! Pinson, who states that he watched th< boat from the Easterner through field glasses from his residence at Moturoa He was about 60 feet above sea level and very near to where the accident occurred. He saw the boat overturn and the five men climb on, and after it drifted for a little time he saw one man disappear off the boat and another follow. He saw their heads in the water and it had every appearance of one helping the other back to the boat, which they Regained. A second time a similar occurrence happened. A third time two men disappeared from the boat, and he did not see either of them return; one head disappeared altogether. After that the man in the centre of the boat disappeared, then the one in the stern, and tne third was still on the boat when the view was obscured by the breakers. Two ladies who were present abo witnessed these occurrences.