Rumbelow Boats
The Ferret

Skippered by Henry Rumbelow's son, Walter Rumbelow, the Ferret provided many years of useful service during which time she was twice rebuilt, featured in some very adventurous incidents, missions of mercy, and pleasure trips on the River Murray.

On December 23rd, 1932, whilst on a fishing trip along the coast she was wrecked. Two brothers, Walter and David Rumbelow were drowned whilst Lionel Rumbelow had a marvelous escape from death.

https://environment.gov.au/shipwreck/public/wreck/wreck.do?key=5349 

Two Drowned in South Coast Capsize

•  Chronicle (Adelaide, SA : 1895 - 1954) 

•  Thu 29 Dec 1932 

Cutter Founders In Sudden Midnight Squall

Two members of the Rumbelow family, of Encounter Bay, were drowned and a third, was. just able to struggle ashore through mountainous breakers when the fishing cutter Ferret, from Victor Harbor, foundered in a heavy squall off Waitpinga Beach shortly after midnight on Thursday. Lionel Rumbelow (29), the survivor, is seriously ill in the South Coast Hospital at Victor Harbor suffering from exposure and shock. The men drowned were Walter Rumbelow, 39, who has left a widow and eight children, and David Rumbelow, 32, who has left a widow and two children. They were cousins.

Lionel Rumbelow, who was flung ashore by a heavy breaker, walked and crawled several hundred yards through water and sand-hills for help. He was partially delirious when found. The first news of the disaster was conveyed when Victor Honey-man, son of Mr. and Mrs. George Honeyman, farmers, of Waitpinga, heard a faint cry of 'Lionel Rumbelow here. We've been wrecked," in the early hours of Friday morning. The Honeymans at once called Victor Harbour, and Constable Dodd soon roused all available residents with cars, who sped swiftly to Honeyman 's farm, the nearest point to Waitpinga Beach. With other helpers, they searched the beach and combed the sand-hills and bushes in the hope that the other two wrecked fishermen had got ashore. 

Although the search was continued all day, no trace of their bodies was found. Although he was not able to see relatives, the story of the disaster Lionel Rumbelow told to Mr. and Mrs. George Honeyman reveals the desperate efforts made by the three men against a tremendous sea, which seemed to rise in a few minutes when squally westerlies rose suddenly. Lionel and David Rumbelow, his brother, were apparently within a few yards of safety, when David was swept away by the strong undertow of the wave which is thought to have thrown Lionel to the beach.

The Rumbelows are sprung from Malin Rumbelow, who settled in the Encounter Bay district in the early fifties, and is supposed to have been the whaler called the Headman in the late Mr. Simpson Newland's historical book, 'Paving the Way.' Messrs. 

Walter, David, and Lionel Rumbelow comprised the crew of the Ferret, and were returning from a fishing trip near Cape Jervis. When opposite Waitpinga Beach, about 10 miles from Victor Harbour, and a mile off shore, the Ferret was struck by a heavy squall. High seas were whipped up in a few minutes, and, according to Lionel Rumbelow, the boat capsized and began to break up immediately. What happened then, Lionel Rumbelow told the Honeyman's yesterday. 

He said: ''With my brother David and my cousin Walter we were sailing along the coast for home, after having been for a fishing trip to Cape Jervis. I looked at my watch at 12.30, and told the others the time. There was a moderate sea, and we were going along under engine and sail. A few minutes later a heavy squall struck us, and tremendous seas began to roll in towards us. In trying to ride one great wave the Ferret turned completely over and immediately started to go to pieces.' 

Tossed Into Sea 

'My brother was thrown out over the stern, and I was tossed into the sea over the side. When I last saw Walter he was attending to the engine. He said something, but I do not know what it was. The Ferret was submerged almost immediately, and I made a grab at the dinghy. I called to my brother, and he grabbed it also. By some means the dinghy had become freed, and, clinging desperately to it, David and I were driven ashore by the high waves. Nearing the shore we were tossed round like corks, as great white breakers thundered on us. A dozen times we almost lost our grip, but we called to one an-other to hang on, because we knew it was a matter of life and death. Time after time we thought the rollers would wash us up on the beach, but each time the undertow carried us out again. 

'At last we were able to gain a foot hold, with the water round our thighs. A huge breaker came in and flung me up on the beach, but I did not see David again. "As I was coming ashore my oil skin coat was washed over my head, and I almost gave up, but struggled on, and eventually reached land. I hardly knew what I was doing, but continued walking and crawling, and found myself in the Waitpinga River. With a shudder I thought I was back in the sea again. I must have been delirious. I can remember Dave speaking to me while in the sea, but I knew that he was done. '

In the darkness I struggled on over sandhills and through the scrub, and finally reached Honeyman's.' Search Begins Mr. and Mrs. Honeyman rolled Lionel Rumbelow in blankets and ad-ministered stimulants. Mr. Honeyman sen., hurried to the home of Mr. V. A. Dennis, and telephoned to Mounted Constable Dodd, of Victor Harbour, and the harbormaster (Mr. Walter Jeffery). 

Constable Dodd telephoned residents with cars, and a party of 50 was soon hurrying for Honeyman's farm. In the meantime other helpers from Encounter Bay and Waitpinga joined the search party. Constables Dodd and Opie organised searchers, who patrolled about five miles of coastline. Parties combed the sandhills and bushes in the hope that the other two wrecked fishermen had got ashore and in their exhausted condition fallen asleep. 

At daylight the Ferret was visible almost submerged with waves dashing over her about 50 yards from the shore. Apparently the boat drifted into this position until her anchor held on a rock. Wreckage and dozens of fish from the cutter were strewn along the shore. The hats of the brothers David and Lionel were the only wearing apparel that came ashore. Dr. F. J. Douglas, of Victor Harbour who was telephoned, motored to Honeyman's farm, and examined Lionel Rumbelow. whom he found had injuries to his back. 

The doctor took him to the South Coast Hospital for treatment. He is being closely watched in the event of pneumonia supervening as a result of exposure. Yester-day afternoon his condition had improved. Searchers found the tracks of Lionel Rumbelow. He crossed the Waitpinga River near the mouth, where the water is onlv 18 inches deep. Further up the river it is several feet deep, and the man in his exhausted condition would probably have been drowned.

Experienced Fishermen 

The Rumbelows are the best known fishermen on the coast. Walter Rumbelow. who owned the Ferret, was one of the most experienced fishermen in the district. He was a son of the late Henry Rumbelow, one of the pioneers of the district. He was born at Encounter Bay, and had lived in the district all his life with the exception of a few years fishing at the lakes near Meningie. 

He was well known to tourists, whom he frequently took out fishing. David Rumbelow was the second son of the late Malin Rumbelow, who died of heart failure while fishing from his boat off Victor Harbour. He has left a widow and two children. He was a well-known coursing man and owned many good greyhounds, and was a prominent member of the Encounter Bay cricket and football clubs. 

Recognised By Royal Humane Society The survivor, Lionel Rumbelow, is married, and has one child. Some years ago he was recognised by the Royal Humane Society for rescuing a man who was out at sea in danger in a flat-bottomed boat. The boat became swamped, and after great difficulty he got the man into his boat and brought him ashore. David Rumbelow had an unenviable experience a few years ago. 

In company with his brother Eric, his boat was swamped. They were in the water for several hours, but eventually got ashore.  Eric Rumbelow said he could not understand how David did not get ashore when he was so close to the beach. All the crew on the Ferret were good swimmers. 

David and Lionel Rumbelow owned another boat, the Ivy, but on this occasion they made the trip with their cousin Walter. It is usual for the Rumbelows and other local fishermen to fish in Backstairs Passage and near Cape Jervis when fish are scarce in local waters. Cape Jervis is 25 to 30 miles from Victor Harbour. 

Praise is due to the efforts of Mounted-Constables Dodd and Opie who were untiring in their work throughout the early hours of the morning, and to Mr. and Mrs. George Honeyman for their hospitality to the large number of residents of the district and from Victor Harbour and Encounter Bay who helped in the ex-haustive search along the coast and among the sandhills for any trace of the men. The Rev. Charles Watts (Newland Memorial Church) reached the scene at 5 a.m. after breaking the news to Mrs. Walter Rumbelow. 

Cain Rumbelow, uncle of the men, passed the spot in his cutter, 'The Swallow,' shortly before the disaster, but kept well out to sea. He returned to the beach by motor car as soon as he heard the news of the wreck. He said the severe squall must have missed him. He was five miles off shore. 

The Ferret, though fairly old, was recognised as a good sea boat. She was 24 ft. long, and was fitted with an engine and sails. All last night between 40 and 50 watchers patrolled the shore. Fires were lighted on the shore, and the volunteers were divided into watches by Constable Dodd, who, with Constable Opie, took it in turns to control operations. 

Pioneer Family 

The mother and family of David Rumbelow are among the earliest residents of Encounter Bay, and there have been five generations of the family, extending over a period of 80 years. The Rumbelow family arrived at Port Adelaide on October 5, 1854, in the ship Pestonjee Bomanjee, which brought 350 immigrants. 

In January, 1855, Miss Rumbelow was married to Mr. Jeliff, and the Rumbelow family and the newly-wedded pair travelled by bullock dray from Port Adelaide to Encounter Bay. At that time the whaling industry was in full swing. Samuel Rumbelow, a cousin of the drowned men, was drowned at Port Elliot a few years ago in rescuing a young woman who slipped off the rocks into the sea. Rumbelow dived in and brought the young woman back to the rocks, where she was grasped by men, but her rescuer was carried out by the undertow and drowned. Sir David Gordon's Tribute 'My wife and I are greatly distressed at the sad news,' said the President of the Legislative Council (Sir David Gordon) last night. 'We knew the Rumbelow family intimately. 

For more than 20 years we visited Victor Harbour each year, and were acquainted with several generations of the family. The history of the family is almost the history of Encounter Bay, for the first member of the family settled there in the old whaling days. I always went to Encounter Bay when visiting Victor Harbour, and went out fishing with the Rumbelow's. They were fine types of citizens, the kind the State could ill afford to lose. They had an intimate knowledge of the coast, but the locality where they were drowned was very treacherous owing to cross currents.'