Cook Islanders’ Bus Crashes

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30960, 17 January 1966, Page 1

Cook Islanders’ Bus Crashes

(N.Z. Press Association) ROTORUA, Jan. 16. Thirty-three persons were injured when a bus plunged over a 50foot bank at the top of Lynmore hill, Rotorua, at 3.55 p.m. yesterday.

The bus, carrying Cook Island members of the Cook Islands-New Zealand Association on a day trip from Auckland, failed to take a bend on the Te Wairoa road south-east of Rotorua.

It crashed through a wooden safety fence and plunged on to farm land, rolled twice and stopped on its side. Four of the injured were admitted to the Rotorua Hospital, where their condition today was reported to be satisfactory. They are: Mrs Rea Kautai, aged 61, concussion, Mrs Pilomer Connal, aged 29, lacerations to forehead, Miss Mary Tauraki, aged 18, fractured arm, and Damian Iti, 22, head injuries.

The other 27 injured passengers were treated at the hospital for cuts, bruises and shock. The driver, Allan Bernard Tretheway, of Eastern Beach, Auckland, was not hurt. He was able to help passengers out of the badly damaged bus

through the door and windows.

Killed By Bulldozer

A youth was killed when a bulldozer capsized at Ngaokwuru, near Rotorua, on Friday. He was: Gary Andrew Renner, aged 18, son of Mr and Mrs G. Renner, 30 Maitland street, Greerton.

He was driving the bulldozer, with giant discs behind, along the side of a hill when the machine rolled over, pinning him beneath.

Workmen who took diesel fuel up to where the youth was working found him dead.

Student Drowned A Victorian University student was drowned at Cable Bay, near Nelson on Saturday evening. He was: Peter John Cook, aged 19, of Invercargill. During the university vacation he had been working in the Nelson area.

He went swimming alone with a snorkel and flippers. His body was found on the floor of the bay after friends had missed him. Stopped By Tree

A big macrocapa tree stopped a car which plunged off

the main north highway just south of Waiwera about 3.25 p.m. today from tumbling another 100 ft. The car, which was wrecked, fell 40ft before crashing against the tree. Rescuers found a girl pinned under the car and the other occupant wandering around dazed. He appeared to have only a shoulder injury.

They are Belinda Anne Harding, of Te Puke, and William Corrigan, of Auckland. They were taken to the North Shore Hospital. A Navy seaman, Mr D. W. Tepaa, was one of the first on the scene. He and another man lifted the front of the car off Miss Harding while another man swung her legs clear. The wrecked car was lowered the rest of the way down the cliff by a rope hitched around the tree. Crushed By Machine The driver of a large earthmover was killed when his machine left the road on the Te Aute hill about 12 miles south of Hastings this afternoon. He was:

Graeme Alan Holmes, aged 24, of 101 St. Aubyn street west.

The machine was found about 4 p.m. overturned at the bottom of a 14-foot bank. The driver was thought to have been thrown from the cab and killed instantly when part of the vehicle ran over him.

Lost Off Launch

No trace has been found of Edward Lawrence Edwards, the 16-year-old fisherman who fell overboard from the fishing launch Four Winds yesterday. The Four Winds and three other fishing boats searched the area yesterday afternoon.

Later in the afternoon a Southland Aero Club plane with two police observers searched for two hours around Codfish Island and Waituna Bay Rough weather prevented a sea search of the area today, but there are fishing boats anchored in Codfish Bay. Another air search was held this morning. The plane took off at 10.30 a.m. with several fishermen on board.

Crashed Head-On

A young man was killed when his car and a horse

float crashed head-on on the Thames-Paeroa highway two miles on the Auckland side of Maramarua at 7.20 p.m. on Saturday. He was: Kenneth Hendra Lockstone, aged 23, single, of Paeroa.

The driver of the horse float, William Francis Kelly, was not injured.

Car Down Bank

Nine persons were in a car which plunged over a bank into the Waioeka Gorge river this afternoon.

Only two of the injured occupants were detained in hospital in Gisborne. They are James Grace, aged 31, and his wife, Anna Grace, aged 30, of 1 Newton road, Gisborne. Their injuries were not known tonight. The car ran off the road on a slight bend about 13 miles north of Matawai. It dived over the steep bank and was partly submerged. The car was wrecked. The other occupants, who were treated for minor injuries and discharged, were Julie and Maria Grace, children of Mr and Mrs Grace, Tui Tuna, David Tuna and Pukai Tuna, of 23 Ranfurly road, Gisborne, and Maggie Merito and Marcia Merito, of Taneatua.