Chloe

The heart-rending story of the sea drama as told by Reg Dew on 22 March 1960, while in hospital, tells of the terrible decision he had to make when he and his close friend, along with their two children, were thrown into the sea after the Chloe capsized. The Geraldton Guardian front page on Tuesday 22 March 1960 told the story under the heading of ‘Survivor Tells of Sea Drama’.

“I told the boy to let his father go lest he go under himself. It was a terrible decision to make, but there was no alternative. I feel very bad about it because Dick was a particularly close friend of mine”.

The article stated that in these words Reg Dew related how he had told Brian Featch to let his dead father go in order to save his own life. He added “Dick’s loss is a tragedy for his wife and young family”.

Reg went on to say “we were returning from setting ten additional craypots about sixteen miles south of Geraldton. I was in the wheelhouse, my daughter (Maureen) was asleep on a bench behind me as she had been a little seasick, the boy was sitting in front of the wheelhouse and Dick was standing nearby me talking about our catch that day of two and a half bags of crays.

Then the wave struck on the port side. The whole boat turned over within seconds and I seemed to get sucked out of the wheelhouse. I found myself in the water and when I came to the surface the Chloe was floating upside down. Dick and Brian were in the water about twenty yards away and Brian was supporting his father. Then Maureen bobbed up. She had been trapped in the wheelhouse, but had smashed her way through the glass. She had cut her nose (four stitches were later inserted) and her hand. All I could see was blood coming from her nose. My seaboots were pulling me down so I swam to the overturned boat, helped Maureen up and removed my boots and most of my clothing. We then swam to the aid of Dick and Brian and helped them to the floating wheelhouse.

Dick was bleeding from the mouth and was deeply unconscious. He died a few minutes later. I know he died because I saw many people in the last war. Brian shouted ‘he’s dead, my Dad is dead. What’s my mum going to do’. I calmed him and told him to let his father go”. Reg stated sadly “we couldn’t do anymore as we were three or four miles from the shore and had no chance of bringing the body in”.

“The three of us clung to the wheelhouse,” he proceeded. “If we tried to get up on it the whole thing would roll over. Maureen was the only good swimmer among us. She learned to swim when she came to Australia from Scotland four years ago.

Maureen was willing to attempt the swim for the shore, but I would not let her go. We clung to the wheelhouse and drifted shorewards for about two hours. We got to within half or three-quarters of a mile and then the wheelhouse began drifting along the coast.

I asked both children if they could make the shore. They were both confident but I was not; I had never swum more than a hundred yards in my life. Maureen told us to swim breaststroke and take it calmly. We had not gone far when Brian shouted that he could not make it. Maureen calmed him down, told him to take off his long trousers which were hampering him and he was alright then.

About a hundred yards from the shore I thought I had ‘had the bomb’ and told Maureen that I did not think I could make it. She called for me to take it slower and keep my head up because we were almost there. Maureen urged me on until I reached the beach and there collapsed. She turned me on my chest and commenced resuscitation to get the sea water out. I was shaking like a leaf all over. About twenty minutes later, Jim Nicolakis came along the beach and found us”.

Jim Nicolakis, a local of Francis Street, Geraldton, later stated that he had been for a training run along the beach from the mouth of the Greenough River. In the distance, half a mile south of Southgates, he saw three people lying in the sand a few feet above the water mark.

The girl sat up and waved to attract his attention. After learning of their plight he ran back to his utility at the river and drove as close as he could to Southgates, and then with the help of a friend, Brian Dobbie (24) of Geraldton, he carried a tracksuit, towels and clothing back to the three exhausted people and helped them to the utility. They were rushed to the Victoria District Hospital, where Brian was not admitted, Maureen was detained overnight while her lacerations were attended to and Reg Dew stayed in hospital for a few days receiving treatment for shock and immersion.

14 year old Maureen Dew, although hurt herself, helped and motivated her father and Brian each time they were ready to give up. Due to her efforts all three of them finally made it to shore and survived the terrifying ordeal.