Through mistaking the harbour channel lights, the owner of the fishing launch Kia Ora had the misfortune to run the boat on the training wall opposite Black Jack’s Point when coming to Dunedin from Port Chalmers on Friday evening. The launch carried five persons — three men and two women — and they spent a miserable night. After striking the wall the launch canted over and partly filled. The occupants were compelled to perch on the gunwale of the stranded boat, and remained there, numbed and drenched with rain, from 7pm until rescued at 7.30am on Saturday.
The Kia Ora, in charge of Mr W. Simpson, left Port Chalmers about 6.30pm on Friday. When passing Black Jack’s Point Mr Simpson was confused over the channel guiding lights, and geared the engine to slow, proceeding for a time at a speed of about two knots. He misjudged the light to the east of the training wall, however, for the light showing the edge of the channel.
Apparently he overlooked the flashing light beyond the wall by which vessels working the Victoria Channel take their course for the basin. Before the helmsman could avert the disaster the Kia Ora ran on to the wall.
Rain began to fall later, and the cold wind increased in force as the night advanced. There was no help in sight, and as the launch was well equipped with life-saving gear this was placed in readiness for emergencies. Mr Simpson and Mr J. Anderson, one of the other occupants, dropped over the side four times during the night, and working strenuously in the ice-cold water, attempted to right the launch, but their efforts were not successful.
At 2am the water in the cabin had gained to such an extent that the two ladies were forced to leave their shelter and join the men on the gunwale of the launch, the party being forced to remain there. The night was bitterly cold, and the danger of losing their holds and slipping over the side added to the fears of the party. Through the hours of darkness, wet and miserable, the five remained huddled together precariously seated on the prow of the partly submerged boat. After dawn several vehicles passed on the Lower Peninsula road, but the signals made by the stranded party did not attract the attention of the drivers. At about 7.30am, Mr W. Mathieson, the driver of a bus which was bound for the city, noticed a frantic waving from the party.
Timely advice
A few general rules concerning skids should always be remembered, the most important is the need for always exercising extra care when driving on greasy roads. This should be emphasised more particularly at this period of the year. When road surfaces become bad it is necessary to make a careful extra allowance for the changed conditions. It is because novices do not make such allowances that so many of them get involved in skidding accidents. So long as you can avoid it, neither brake nor accelerate suddenly, nor take a sudden swerve, nor steer round a corner quickly. — ODT, 17.5.1926
