TRAGEDIES OF THE SURF.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1644, 10 January 1913, Page 9

TRAGEDIES OF THE SURF.

FOUR PERSONS DROWNED IN ■ ' .. QUEENSLAND. . : Southport, the popular seaside'resort on the south coast "of Queensland, was the scene of ah, appalling tragedy on Saturday, December 28,, when- tho surf claimed the lives of three youths. \ ; The scene of the accident was on what is known as the_ main beach, where heavy breakers come in. A heavy undertow 19 known to exist at .the spot, and several exciting incidents have occurred' there in the past, which, had it not.been for the promptness <>f would have ; ended fatally. Miss Alice Hobbs, the daughter of Mr. A. Hobbs, solicitor, of BrisDane; Mies Whittiker, Miss Lottie Bond, Miss Mao- ■ nish, and Messrs. W. B. Wilson, r Ray Brookos, Stanley Chapman, Noel Robertson, and R. J. Willcocks were , all swimming together on the main beach on December 28, when several of the ladies in the party started to scream for assistance.. It was not uiitil then that the men of. the party l realised that the undertow had them in its terrible grip, and the' unselfishly, disregarding all personal safety, went to the rescue of the distressed girls. Miss Bond's father was quickly in the water, and he rapidly .gained his daughter's side, and with Robertson's assistance brought her safely to terra firma. Robertson bravely plunged back into the breakers, and succeeded in bringing Miss Macnish.to shore little tho worso for her -terrible experience, except for shock. Willcooks, who'has represented his State several times in Rugbv football, saw to the safety of Miss Hobbs. By this' time a hue and cry. had been raised, and a man named Cooper, who was on*a sailing boat, which was lying a short distance away, swam out and attempted to rescue Wilson, who, by , this time, was'in a bad way. But unfortunately Wilson appeared to havo lost control of himself, and struggled so hard that Cooper was nearly drowned, and hnd to let Wuson go. Bond, noticing Cooper's condition, with the nssistance of a man named Lahojv who had secured some rope from the sailing boat and made an improvised lifeline, brought' Cooper ashore. Jobertson succeeded in grasping Wilson, but. the latter appeared to be past human aid, and Robertson had td leave him. Miss Lottie Bond made a brave attempt to rescue Brookes, but just-as she was approaching him, a wave washed ,them apart, and she was. unable to do any-, thing more for him. Meanwhile Willcocks had succeeded in getting Miss Hobbs on to< a sandbank, and with tho assistance of a youth named Collins, who-had a litie, succeeded in bringing her ashore. Lahoy and. WillcoCk9 tried to get out to Wilson, but the current proved too strong, and they had to abandon the attempt. •Wilson's body could be seen floating on the breakers, but beyond human aid. Chapman: was seen to struggle in the water for some time, and shortly after he disappeared.. ' , The victims, who were well known and came of respected families, wero;— W. B. Wilson, employed in a mercantile house, Brisbane;. Ray Brookes, . 6on of Mr. Arthur Brookes, of Mackay, a University 6tudent; Stanley Chapman, of Brisbane. Tho three victims wore all youthful When it was seen that any further rescue was impossible, search parties were organised, and patrolled the beach all night The upper portion of Brookes's bathinf costume was found badly torn, nearlj two miles from the scene of the tragedy. The rescuers speak bitterly of the lacl of life-saving apparatus on the beach. an< declare that if there had been a lifolini available not one life would have beei j 03 t, " Several of the party returned t. B Brisbane by the evening train from South port, and beyond the fact that they ap peared to be suffering- from shock the; wero little the worse for their terribl experience. The ladies received medico attention in Southport.