Published December 21st 1998.
Yesterday, on December 20th, Phil Stubbs, policeman, lifeguard and trans-Atlantic record-holder, died in a plane crash at Karekare in New Zealand. He was flying a light plane owned by a syndicate including himself, and his brother-in-law Mark David Gusse, flying with him, is critically injured in Auckland Hospital following the crash.
Last year Phil Stubbs and Rob Hamill shattered the trans-Atlantic pairs rowing record as they took part in, and won convincingly, the Chay Blyth Challenge to oarsmen, crossing from Tenerife to Barbados in under 42 days.
Rob Bristow, custodian of the NZ rowing pages which include stories and photographs of Hamill and Stubbs, emphasises:
"New Zealand has lost not only an outstanding athlete but a veryspecial person with the death of Phil Stubbs in a aircraft crash at theweekend.
News December 22nd from Rob B:
It appears that Phil Stubbs and his brother-in-law had flown the Cessna out to visit the Surf Lifeguards at the beach, a common occurrence. They were leaving to fly back when he lost control shortly after takeoff and the plane nosedived into the beach from an altitude of about 50 feet. Phil died at the scene and Mark remains in critical condition, having had eight hours of surgery.
Email can be sent to Rob Hamill and Rob Bristow. The messages which Bristow has received will be read out at the funeral service this Wednesday in Auckland, when Phil Stubbs will be buried with full police honours.