Reunion story in the Otago Daily Times (New Zealand)

[Chi Pham]

The below link will take you to a story in south New Zealand newspaper about Craig's memories, and experience at the reunion.

http://www.odt.co.nz/lifestyle/magazine/23115/souls-saved-346

Craig apologizes for seeming to be the main subject of the article but it's written from the "local boy did good 30 years ago"angle as it's a local interest story.

[Mike Newton]

and just to keep the story straight, I was on Wellpark's deck just like Craig, and not in the lifeboat as reported. You really can't believe everything you read in newspapers!

[Carmel Fenton]

Its a nice story, I need to contact the local press for my mam, both to say that from their story about Dad that Mike got fired up but also while we were away someone pinched some of the dragons from Mam's fairy garden.... can't believe someone would steal from a fairy garden

[Carmel Fenton]

Mike, who was on the rescue boat with Dad ?

[Mike Newton]

Hi Carmel,

Who was in the lifeboat with your Dad? My memory is only so good to a point!

Training Officer Graham MacQueen
Cadet Andy Dryburgh
Cadet Mark Ohlenschlager
Cadet Ronnie Beaton
Cadet Mick Moran

......then my memory gets hazy and I'm not certain of the following
Cadet Gary Pearce
Cadet S.Waugh or Cadet J.McConnell
One of the Engineer Officers, either 3/E Harvey or 4/E Clegg

I think there were about eight in total. Ask Andy, Mark or Ronnie. They should know.

Mike

[Carmel Fenton]

Cool, thanks I'd love to hear their accounts of the night, are you in touch with any other than Andy who has been great especially just after Dad died at letting me know things that happened. I had in my head there were a few boats I don't know why..... but the captain said it was just one. I don't know why that makes me prouder of Dad it just does. ??!!??

[Mike Newton]

Hi Carmel,

Only one little lifeboat. I had a taste of what it was like for myself when a week or so after we left Taiwan we lowered the lifeboat when we were at anchor off Korea - just the Training Officer and about six Junior Cadets. Just after we were lowered to the water from Wellpark, we released the falls and intended to putter around a bit. However the engine wouldn't start and very quickly the current took us fast away from Wellpark. The ship was at anchor and couldn't come after us. The waves were much bigger than they had looked from up on Wellpark's deck, and as Wellpark began to shrink in the distance I began to get quite concerned. We unshipped the oars and started rowing with all our strength, but with the tossing on the waves, the oars barely bit into the water. We continued to drift away alarmingly fast. Our relief was immense when the engine eventually coughed into life, but in those ten minutes or so I had sensed how powerless you can feel in a little boat in the middle of the ocean. We were very glad to get back to Wellpark, and the waves were a fraction of what they had been on 1st October!

[Carmel Fenton]

You know Dad was prone to exaggerating stories but I cannot quite get over how he undersold this one to us ! I mean he would pull all the stuff out on the Wellpark at least twice every year and tell us about it and talk us throught the rescue and I always knew how proud he was and he said it was scary ...........but I guess when your telling your daughter a story you would just tell her the happy ending which is what I saw when I went to the reunion and basically Dad told me the happy ever after version and I really would like to know what it was like to have been on the boat. I know there was a problem and he had to smash something to release the boat and I know he had to lean in the water and put his head between the boats to fish someone out of the water but the rest is a mystery to me.