[?]Issionary’S Wife, Sons
p. 109 · Read in the full issue
Illed In
Apuan Launch Tragedy
I7HEN a SDA Mission launch ex y ploded some miles up the Turama River, Western Papua, i December 29, Mrs. Del Lemke, , and her two small sons aged ur and seven years were swept vay in the river and not seen ;ain. Mr. Ernest Lemke, a mis onary stationed near Daru, re ived burns, the Lemkes’ 20 onths-old-son was saved by one the natives on the launch and ie 14 native passengers reached fety.
The Lemkes were en route to ission headquarters in Port oresby. The 39-ft. petrol launch which they were travelling was ichored for the night off a village, hen Mr. Lemke started it again «t morning the petrol tanks ex oded. Everyone jumped from the anch and immediately Mrs. Lemke id the boys were swept away.
Local natives took the survivors ' canoe for two days up the abuna River to an APC oil-search ■mp. News was radioed from iere to Moresby and a Catalina nt to pick up the baby, Mr.
Jmke and an injured native.
Mr. and Mrs. Lemke went to ipua from Western Australia >out 4 h years ago and were held • high regard by natives and aropeans.
Mr. Matthew Lurie, branch man ner for BCPA at Nadi, Fiji, was knitted to hospital as a suspected Thoid sufferer when he reached Pdney from Fiji on December 28,