Police look into rumour of boat's deliberate sinking

By ROSALEEN MACBRAYNE

The identity of a submerged hull spotted from the air off Pukehina in the Bay of Plenty remains unknown, despite a $10,000 search.

Police are now following up a "bit of a rumour" that a stolen boat was sunk deliberately.

Fearing a tragedy, authorities mounted a major search after items from a pleasure craft were found washed up on the beach 20km east of Te Puke two weeks ago.

It was thought an unidentified yacht which had left Whakatane three days earlier may have come to grief. But that was ruled out when the owner, Tauranga boat builder Eric Gray, came forward after a security camera picture of his sailing vessel, Erica, was published nationwide.

With no boats or sailors reported missing, the puzzle deepened.

Tauranga police search and rescue co-ordinator Sergeant Dave Thompson said yesterday: "I've been going over it in my own mind and, on the evidence we had, we feared the worst. Everything points to the fact that a vessel of some sort sank out there. You have to treat it as the real thing."

No one had claimed the 2.5m aluminium dinghy and motor found on shore, nor clothing, fuel containers that were almost full, binoculars, food and other washed-up items strewn along the 5km stretch of beach.

Mr Thompson said he was sure the gear had come from a vessel which had sunk not long ago because nothing seemed to have been in the sea for long.

During the search, what appeared to be part of a hull was spotted from the air about two nautical miles out from Pukehina but a Coastguard boat was unable to find the submerged wreck.

Read more in our Marine News section