DEATHS BY DROWNING.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2481, 20 March 1882, Page 3

DEATHS BY DROWNING.

[PBRgS ABEOCIATION TKLEGnAM,] INVERCARGILL, March 20.

News was reoeived yesterday afternoon of an accident on the New River, a few miles from town, resulting in the loss of three livea. A party, oonsiating of a young man named Henry Ackers, his sister aged fourteen, his brother aged seven, and a young man named William Smith, went out in a sailing boat, and they intended to go to the Ferry, two or three miles distant, but had not gone far before the boat waa caught by a gust of wind and turnod over, going down in twenty feet of water. Aa soon aa the boat rose, H. Aokeri, who is a good swimmer, made for his sister, and oarried her to the boat, telling her to oling to the mast. He then did the same with hia brother, but Smith, who had hold of the boom, and the weight of the four, caused the boat to go under. At this point the accident was noticed from the shore, and a boat put off propelled by a boy named Colin Brown. H. Ackers took his brother and sister under each aim, and endeavoured to keep afloat by treading water ; but the wind rising, made the water rough, and he overbalanced and tank, the children going down under him. They slipped their hold, and although Ackers dived after them he could not reach them. On regaining the surfaoe he observed Smith, twenty yards away, and told him to float on his back. Smith replied, "I can't." By thia time young Brown'* boat had reaohed Ackers, who told him rot to mind him but go and save Smith. He managed to get the bow of the boat np to Smith, when the latter sank and never rose again. Ackerawaa then perauaded, with difficulty, to enter the boat. The bodies of the girl and Smith were subsequently recovered.