CO129-369 - Acting Governor May Governor Sir Lugard - 1910 [10-11] — Page 219

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Enclosure 1.

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5. S. "Huichow",

Hongkong, 3rd.October, 1910.

Ro the loss of the German Steamer "Lydia",

off Lam Yit Island, Haitan Straits, on 28th. September,1910,

I have the honour to report you the gallant conduct, during the rescue operations, of Mr. David Sutherland Chief Officer of the

rescuing steamer "Huichow" and of Mr. Edward Wild, second officer of the wrecked s.s. "Lydia". The particulars are as

follows:- The "Huichow" was anchored, consistent with the safety of the ship, as near as possible to the wreck, the intervening space about half a cable being swept by the full force of a N.

N. E. gale, accompanied by a heavy dangerous sea. The first

and second boats from the wreck covered the distance safely,

but the third and last boat, containing the Captain, Chief Officer, Chief Engineer and Second Engineer and fourteen of the

Chinese crew of the "Lydia" became unmanageable in a violent

squall and missed the "Huichow". Lines with life buoys attached

had previously been paid out over the stern, in anticipation of

such a contingency, but all efforts, on the part of the boat to

reach them were in vain; Mr. Sutherland,sbeing the improbability

of the boat ever reaching the life buoys, divested himself of

his coat only and gallantly plunged from the stern of the

"Huichow". He quickly reached one of the life buoys and towed

it some distance towards the boat, but the heavy backwash of

the sea, acting on the attached line eventually wrenched it from his grasp, and he was unable to recover it. He was then in

a most perilous position, unable to make the slightest headway

to regain the ship and the boat being swept rapidly to the Southward. He quickly decided that to breast the sea was in-

possible and made for the receding boat, which, after a hard

struggle he roached in an exhausted condition. Whilst le.

Sutherland