Crusader

Frank Travia was born in Geraldton on 21 March 1932. He came from a pioneering fishing family based in Geraldton. His Grandfather, Filippo Travia (also known as “King Phillip”), had started fishing from the Abrolhos Islands in 1907 using his fishing boat named the Crusader. Frank later named his own boat Crusader, in honour of his Nonno’s boat. From an early age, Frank had been involved in Fishing. He left school in 1945 as a 13-year-old to help his Father Gaetano onboard the Pacific. He was soon skippering the launch, Margie, with Alf Valenti as crew. He also worked on the Struen and Atom – smaller catching vessels.

The Travia family were well known in the Geraldton fishing fraternity, and Frank’s father Gaetano later operated a catcher/carrier boat named Lady Joyous between the Abrolhos Islands and Geraldton. The family were also inaugural founders of the Geraldton Fishermen’s Cooperative. Frank himself was a team member involved in digging the very foundations of the original Coop building.

In May 1967 a newspaper article published the story of Frank and his ‘brush with death’ at the Abrolhos Islands. Three boats were caught in a maelstrom of surf on a reef near the southern group of the main islands. Frank’s 28 foot boat, Crusader, got into difficulties when hit by a giant wave. When the 28 foot Roslyn,skippered by Mostyn McAullay, attempted to go to his aid it was also hit by a giant breaker and wrecked. The 24 foot Therese, skippered by his brother, Phillip McAullay, came on the scene and was damaged in a breaker. Bruised, stiff and sore with stitched cuts on his face Frank survived the ordeal.

In later years, the Travia family had moved North of Perth to continue fishing. At around 6.45 am on Thursday, 4 August 1977 Frank’s crayfishing boat Crusader F630 left the Yanchep Marina to pull craypots that had been set some 6 days before. The pots were usually pulled every day but rough weather had stopped Crusader from venturing out to pull them.

On board that day were Frank Travia (45) the owner/skipper and Paul Francis Haning (19) his deckhand of around 8 months. Frank was married to Annette Maude Clarkson with two children and resided in Booragoon. Paul lived with his mother at Beach Road, Yanchep.

At around 11.30am they had finished pulling the last line of pots and headed for the ‘first bank’ approximately 3 miles offshore with 13 or 14 pots onboard. Paul later stated that there was a moderate swell and a light breeze at this time. At around 11.30am Crusader was crossing the ‘first bank’, travelling in an easterly direction at approximately 13 knots. Frank suddenly swung the boat in a southerly direction and Paul crashed to the deck. He knew instantly that they were travelling over a large wave. A split second later the boat was swamped by another wave and it turned completely upside down. The West Australian reported Paul Haning as saying ‘We were no sooner through the first wave when a second wave, about three metres high, hit us. I was washed overboard and all I could see was white foam. When I surfaced there was debris all around the overturned boat’.

When Paul surfaced the boat was upside down, he was about 20 feet from the boat and he could see that Frank was about 40 feet from him. Frank appeared to be alive and making some effort to keep himself afloat but when Paul called out to him there was no reply. Paul then swam to the bow of the boat and when he saw that Frank had not made any attempt to swim towards the boat he swam over to him, grabbed him by the coat and with one hand under his chin towed him towards the boat. He managed to get to the stern of the boat, but while attempting to climb onto the boat, the boat turned over and righted itself. However, the stern completely sank under water while the bow section was still out of the water along with a section of the cabin. By this time Paul noticed that Frank was turning blue so he attempted to give mouth to mouth resuscitation but it was difficult because he couldn’t get a firm footing and waves were coming across the boat.

Frank appeared to regain some colour so Paul checked for pulse and heartbeat, he could not feel either so he applied mouth to mouth resuscitation again. Shortly after Paul thought that Frank was dead and tied him to the bow of Crusader and swam towards some diving gear which was about 200 feet away. Returning to the boat he put on a wet suit, flippers and mask along with a hood and decided to swim towards shore. By this time he was very cold and feared that if he stayed the fleet may not see him as they were all now returning to the marina.

The crayfishing boat Scorpio, owned and skippered by Trevor Norman Tilka, was returning from the fishing grounds south of Two Rocks when Trevor observed what he thought to be a large bird flapping in the water. On getting closer he realised that it was the movement of a person and it was then that he also saw a swamped boat nearby. The person in the water was Paul Haning and when brought aboard the Scorpio was showing some signs of reaction from the accident and exposure to the cold.

The body of Frank was recovered by a passing boat, the boat then headed to shore where it was met by Constable Dorrington of the Wanneroo Police. The body was formally identified by Paul Haning as his late employer, Frank Travia. The body was conveyed by a Government Contractor, accompanied by Constable Dorrington to the City Mortuary and life certified extinct by Doctor Farmer at 3.15pm on 4 August 1977. A post mortem was conducted the next morning at 9.00am by Doctor Hainsworth who gave as his finding that death was due to drowning. Abrasions were found on Frank’s forehead and nose and it was assumed that he could have possibly struck his head on the boat or debris when it overturned.

Paul was examined by a Doctor once back onshore who, because of abrasions to his forehead, sent him to Royal Perth Hospital for x-rays for suspected concussion. He was also suffering from shock and immersion from his terrible ordeal.

The Coroner did not deem it necessary to hold an inquest and Frank Travia’s death was recorded as ‘accidental’ from drowning when his boat overturned and he was thrown into the sea. Frank was cremated at 11.00am on 6 August 1977 at Fremantle and is remembered with a memorial in the Garden of Remembrance at Fremantle Cemetery.

Paul Francis Haning was born on 27 October 1957. Prior to going fishing he completed two years’ study in engineering at the University of Western Australia. In 1974 he gained his Bronze Life Saving Medal (Still Water) and as a hobby had taken up skindiving. Given his act of bravery Paul was considered for a Bravery Award, however there is no record of the application being successful.