FOUR DROWNED

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 252, 20 December 1940, Page 5

FOUR DROWNED

MAKETU TRAGEDY

CHILDREN SWEPT AWAY

Four young children were • drowned at Maketu on Wednesday afternoon when they were ; swept down the Kaituna River iin a swiftly ebbing tide. Two others were rescued in an exhausted condition. The four who lost their lives were:— Ronnie Tapsell aged 8, son of ; Mr T. Tapsell* farmer, Maketw. Beissie McDonald* aged 7, youngest daughter of Mr Malcolm McDonald farmer,, Maketu Maria Corbett, aged 6, eldest of Mr Kiwi Corbett, Native Department employee, /Maketu. - Billy Hoko, who resided with his grandmother at Maketu, both his parents being ■ dead. The two rescued were: "Nobby" Tapselli, aged 8. Sarah Hohaia, aged 7. The tragedy occurred at about .2.30 p.m. The children w T ere all pupils at the Maketu school, and were attending a bathing parade of about 20 of the Primer classes, un- * dsr the supervision of Miss Lowrie, the teacher in charge. The party "was bathing at the rear of Ringer's Store, some 350 yards from the river mouth, and were about to go home. Some of the children, including those who lost their lives, had run ;some distance further down the 'beach and jumped into the water -for a final frolic.

The river shelves very steeply at this point, and although there was little sea running, the current was racing swiftly towards the sea under the suction of the east ebb, of what had been a very.full tide.

The children were .immediately in •difficulties, and Miss Lowrie, who ■at oiice realis.nl what was happening, rushed into the water and succeeded in rescuing one child, and helped in dragging another to -safety. By this time, however, the •others had disappeared. All available help was summoned, and a call .was put through, to Constable Roberts, at Te Puke. Boats were manned, and fishing nets placed across the river, but without success. The search was widened under the supervision of Constable Roberts and 'willing helpers, and at five o'clock the, body of Billy Hoko was found aiear the Beacon Rock, about 250' ..yards doAvn stream, the bodies of Maria Corbett and Bessie McDonald "were discovered soon after in the .r-same vicinity. The search for the •other is being continued.