Swimmer Swept To Death By Tide Rip At Ohope Beach: Life Savers’ Hopeless Search

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 7, 16 December 1947, Page 5

Swimmer Swept To Death By Tide Rip At Ohope Beach: Life Savers’ Hopeless Search

V 'fraught in the tide rip at the western end of Ohope Beach about 3.15 on Sunday afternoon Mr Herbert Lionel Armstrong, of 107 Grey Street, Ashburton, aged 31, single, was swept away and presumably lost his life. • As yet the body has not been recovered. Another member of Mr Armstrong’s party, Mr Clifford Weller, had a narrow escape. Life savers spent hours searching, but failed to find any trace of the missing man.

mm- .... Mr Armstrong, who was an engineering student from Canterbury College working with Government surveyors on the Edgecumbe-Murupara railway project, went to Ohope on Sunday with Mr J. C. Hawken, of Edgecumbe and four other members of the survey party based at Te Teko, Messrs David L. Upchurch, Warren Gibson, Weller and John W. Barnes. Messrs Armstrong and Weller were swimming near each other when the rip, which was setting .strongly north east at that time, caught them. Mr Weller saw his •companion swept away as he realised his own imminent danger. Working along the beach with the rip, he finally made his way ashore in a semi-exhausted condition. By that time there was no sign of Mr Armstrong. Prompt Action

Plane No Use A message was sent to Rotorua for an aeroplane, Mr Whitehead reported, but authorities there considered that, with the discoloured water due to the heavy surf and silt discharging from the river mouth, no useful purpose would be served. Discussing the tragedy with the Beacon on Sunday night, Mr Whitehead said he wanted to place on record his personal appreciation of the effort the life-savers under his direction had made. He was particularly appreciative of Mr Morpeth’s effort, which was a purely voluntary one on the part of a man who is not a club member, but proved himself both courageous and capable in the water. A Warning

Not only Mr Whitehead, but other officials of the Club emphasised the need for constant vigilance, particularly on that section of the beach between the Hostel and the rocks. They said it should.be pointed out that bathers in that locality entered the water at their own risk, and that it would be wiser for any who were not wholly familiar with conditions to stay near the life-savers’ depot within easy range of the lookout. It was hoped, if sufficient members could be obtained, to establish a regular and extended service. They were confident there would be no difficulty about cash or equipment, but the pressing need just now was sufficient trained personnel to give adequate protection on a long beach.

As soon as the others realised what was happening, they rushed a message along to the life-savers’ club-house, where a team was practicing under the direction of an instructor, Mr Jack Whitehead. Arrived at the approximate scene of the tragedy in a car, Mr M. McGill was in the belt and starting out with the line within a minute of the reel’s having been unshipped. Mr Brian Skelton went with him, without a line, and made a further trip in the Club’s canoe but, though they searched up to 400 yards off shore they could find no trace of the missing man.

Though search conditions were bad, with heavy surf and discoloured water, Mr Rex Morpeth junior offered to take the line out again, and he went to its limit of 480 yards without success. The whole team, and particularly Messrs Morpeth, McGill and Skelton, were warmly thanked for their efforts.

Mr Whitehead and Mr G. Stenhouse, both of whom have had considerable patrol experience at Ohope, said at least 24 active members would be necessary to give full service with the present equipment. They need not all be good swimmers, and there was plenty of room in the organisation for non-swim-mers for shore duties and the manning of the look outs.

Police Sergeant M. Farrell was notified by telephone and immediately made arrangements to extend the search.