Otra - Newspaper Report

Shields Daily News – Thursday 6 June 1912:

LIFEBOAT RESCUES CREW

SHIP STRANDED AT HARTLEPOOL

Large crowds assembled on the Hartlepool Promenade and beach last night on it becoming known that a big vessel was ashore on the rocks off the North end of the promenade. The vessel, the iron full rigged ship Otra, 1.196 tons net register, of Christiansand, which was making for Hartlepool from Libau with a cargo of timber, was in tow of the Shields tug Eddystone when the mishap occurred, the tug having picked her about 4 o'clock in the afternoon. A dense fog prevailed at the time. On the alarm being given, the Hartlepool lifeboat. Charles Ingleby, was immediately manned in charge of assistant coxswain Thomas Pounder, and was towed out to the vessel by the tug William Gray.

In the meantime, the coast guard rocket apparatus made three or four attempts to establish communication from the beach, but without success, the range, about half a mile, being too great. Some members of the Otra's crew had left the ship in their own boat, and were taken on board the tug before the lifeboat arrived. The master, Captain Refenaes, and six others who had remained on board were calling for the lifeboat to take them off as the ship was badly holed and rapidly filling with water. A strong north north-east sea was running at the time, and the lifeboat sustained damage to the gunwale on the starboard bow by coming in contact with the side of the vessel. All hands, however, were safely landed and taken to the Coal Exchange Hotel.

It is considered probable that the vessel will become a total wreck, as she is on what are known Northwall Rocks.

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