NEW BRIGHTON DROWNING ACCIDENT.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1649, 16 January 1913, Page 7

NEW BRIGHTON DROWNING ACCIDENT.

A TRIBUTE TO MR! HIGHET.' (By. Megraph.—Special Correspondent.)'" ,n Christohurbh, January 15. • Mr. T. M. Collins, v;bo has been president of i the Arawa Sailing . Club, Wellington, and is known as one of file officials ,in times past of the Port Nicholson Sailing. Club s : regatta,. gave a "News" representative a tribute to the merits of Mr. . Highet,' who was drowned at New •Brighton yesterday. "John Ilighet," he Saj'B, "wasi. Killed affectionately by his friends :'Hoppy.? The Word of his deatli will come as a shock to his'' friends iu many parts of Now Zealand. He took to the water, naturally, aiid it was a proverb in Wellington at one tiiile that his pow,ers could not ho surpassed. In the (jays before the association was. started lie ivils a winiler often at tho swimming competipromoted about Clydo Quay. -I am certain that no ordinary haopening would have resulted in his deatli. He was brought up on liis father's farm at RoseneathiHills, and froin infancy the waters of Oriciital Bay were almost as much his home as tho land. Their boa tshed always contained a craft of : sohio sort,' and at . most of; tho regattas 'Jack' was to be found »at the tiller of a yacht. Ho had the/ reputation of being .one of the best 'tailing Wasters of the harbour, at-a tilne when good men were'not scarce; Casual travellers by the-ferry boat to Wellington may romembor meeting a tiny six-foot .dinghy cruising about the harbour .mouth, and the various - expressions of opinion given as to the intrepid youth 1 whose wave -of hand, and chebrv, smilq.as she came in close testified, to the true nleasnre found/in his pastime. From the six-foot dinshy he' nrOgrcssed to various other craft .of differing merit, and often when a_ netv boat did jiot.come up. to. expectations 'his assistance' would: ha, called in and liis advice more than once chained a slow craft to one to be counted with in races." ( ' ' . . ; -.(By. Tclegraphi—Prres Aesociation.) ' Christchurch, January 15. An inqufet Was 'held to-night on tho victinis of the drowning fatality at Herring Bay,' New Brighton,."yesterday. : A verdict ,'6f 'accidentally drowned Was returned. The evidcn'ce was to the effect that Mrs. Highet, was in difficulties before her brother-in-law (Mr. Highet) entered thfe'water. He' jiimped 'in partially dressed.and went to her assistance, but was dragged under, both being drowned.