EIGHT LIVES LOST.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1266, 23 October 1911, Page 5

EIGHT LIVES LOST.

AN OVERLADEN DINGHY. CAPSIZES AT FOXTON HEADS. PARTY OF LADIES & CHILDREN DROWNED. (By Telcirraph.-Prc33 Association.) Palmerston North, October 22. A most distressing boating accident occurred at Tβ Wliarangi, a seaside reeort at Toxton Heads, this morning. Largo numbers of Palmerston people have cottages there, whero they stay for week-ends and over the. summer. Ihese have motor launclios on the river. A party of ladies and children were go'in" out this morning to Mr. Robert's motor launch. There was a sharp breeze and a jobble. Tho dinghy, being very much overladen, capsized and sank before any boats could be launched from shore. All those on board were drowned. They wero :— Sirs. PERCY ROBERT, of Palmerston North, and her two sons. Mrs. GROVES (wife of Mr. Groves, motor expert, Palmerston), and two children. Miss GRACE O'SULLIVAN, daughter of Major O'Sullivan, of the Defence Department, 'Wellington. Miss ARNOLD, of Nelson. A latw message was received by telephono last evening stating that all tho bodies had ton recovered excepting those of Miss O'Siillivan and the two Robert children. At tho place, where tho accident occurred the water is very shallow except in the immediate vicinity of tho spot where tho motor hunches am moored. All those in tho boat which capsized were women and children, the oldest of the boys on board being, 60 we are- informed, only sixteen years of age. The particulars available are very meagre, but the accident seems to havo happened close to tho launch. If any people wero on board the launch at the time, they were probably below, end did not foo the accident.