DISTRESSING ACCIDENT AT LAKE GEORGE.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2764, 27 December 1871, Page 2

DISTRESSING ACCIDENT AT LAKE GEORGE.

TWO MEN UROWNEO. A most distressing accident has occurred at Lake George, near Riverton, by which two men lost their lives, aud a third very narrowly escaped sharing the same fate. It appears that on the afternoon of Thursday last, Thomas Hinch, John Fryatt, aud Charles Fryatt, miners for some time past working in the neighborhood of Coke Bay, were on their way to Riverton to dispose of a quantity of gold, the proceeds of their labors, aud spend the Christmas holidays. On reaching Lake George, which is described as a lagoon sheet of water from two to three miles in length, an i about three-quarters of a mile broad, they all embarked in a canoe, or rather a “dug-out,” if., the trunk of a tree scooped out in the centre. in this frail bark they set out for the opposite shore, which we may explain it is necessary to reach ei> from Golac Bay to Riverton. The dug-out in question is the only available means of transit, and parties requiring to make the passage have no other mode of conveyance at their disposal. The lake at the time the accident occurred is reported to have been rough, “with a nasty chopping sea on.” Despite that fact, the parties iucautiou.-ly hoisted a sail. When about 200 yards from the shore, towards which they were making, the craft was caught by a sudden squall au I upset, Charles Fryatt, who is but an indifferent swimmer, succeeded with some difficulty in reaching the shore, and on lookim' round his companions" were nowhere to be°seeu. One end of the canoe was visible above the ripple of the water, showing that tho other end had caught in the mud The alarm was raised as fast as the isolated situation of the place would admit of. Tho end of the cwioc continuing visible above the v ater, no difficulty was experienced in fixing the exact spot where the accident bad taken place. Being w holly without appliances for recovering the bodies, messengers were despatched to Riverton,

where they arrived at daylight the following morning. Snb-inspoctor Fox happened to be in Riverton when the intelligence arrived, and no time was lost in securing the requisite appliances, By this time the report of the occurrence had spread in the neighborhood of Lake George, and a number of men had arrived at the spot to render assistance. The ill-fated canoe being, as stated above, all that was available in the shape of a boat, the first thing the search party could do was to recover it from its embedde 1 position in the mud. This proved to be no easy task, various ineffectual efforts having been made by men swimming out and attempting to right it. The difficulty was overcom *by a Maoii netned Boko, whose conduct under the trying circumstances is highly spoken of. He (Boko) made a rope out of the flax, with one end of which he swam out to the canoe, and at great personal risk succeeded in securing it to the end above water, and by that means it was eventually dragged ashore. A party of men theu embarked, and after searching for some time both of the bodies were brought to the surface and secured. John Fryatt's body being without the coat, and as he is known to have had one on when tiie boat upset, it is surmised that he succeeded in divesting himself of it while straggling in the water. The men had a swag with them in the boat, containing a quantity of gold, which had not been recovered when our advices left. It is believed, however, that there will be no great difficulty in recovering it. • t the coroner’s inquest the evidence showed that both of the deceased men weie first-rate swimmers, and that at the time the accident took place they were in the act of taking in the sail, being of opinion that the craft had too much head-weight. Both had on heavy gum boots, and it is supposed that these got water logged, and dragged them down. Charles Frj’-att had a very narrow escape. I ideed it is reported that but for assistance rendered to him by a Maori woman, who happened to be in the neighbor* hood at the time, he would have been unable to drag himself on shore. The core, ner's jury returned a verdict of “Accidentally drowned ” —Southland Times, Dec. 26.