Westshore Tragedy

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 5, 21 January 1937, Page 6

Westshore Tragedy

BOY DR0WNED Brothers Carried Out On Infiaied Raft ONE UNABLE TO SWIM Laurie Bruce McRae, aged eight, was drowned when a rubber raft on which be was floating opposite the Joylands Kiosk at Westshore yesterday afternoon was blown into deep water by a sudden gust of wind, and capsized. His elder brother, Allan McRae, aged 12, almost met with a similar fate after giving up a gallant attempt to rescue him, while eye-witnesses on the beach were unable to assist. The fatality occurred at 1.30 p.m., when the two boys, who were frequent visitors to the beach at Westshore, were surfing on ti, '3 rafts. A stiif breoze was blowing offshore, making tlie sea quite choppy, but not rough. An exceptionally strong gust of wind euuglit the rafts, and carried them out to a position more than 30 yards from the beach, where the rafts capsized, and the boys were thrown into the water. » Laurie, who was uuable to swim, was left straggling in .seven feet of water, and Allan, althougk not a strong swimmer, tried for some time to reacb his brother to give assistance. He was forced to give up tlie attempt, how over, and made for the shore. ALLAN BROUGHT ASIIORE. As he ne^red the beach in an exliausted condition, the attention of Mrs Jean Brown-Ferguson, of Francie street, Hastings, was attracted to his •pligkt, iand she gave the alarm. Of tho few adults and elder children on tho beach, none was able to swim, and finally Mr William Alfred George Apted, who was also unable to swim, waded into the water as far as he could, and pulled the semi-conseious boy ashore. His wife, Mrs Apted, who is a nurse, applied artificial respiration, and in a very few minutes Allan lecovered sufficiently to say, "My brother '« still out tEere." Laurie was seen to sink, and Mr F. F. Wilkiuson, at the Joylands Kiosk, communicated with the policc and a doetor. When he received the message at 1.45 p.m., Constable J. Wiiliamson, of Port Ahuriri, made arrangements to secure the Napier Harbour Board launch, and, piloted by Captain Hector McLaughlin, assistant iiarbourmaster, and with Mr Fin Goudie, of Westshore, a member of the staff of Richardson and Co., Port Ahuriri, as passenger, set out post-haste for the scene. The launch was soon joined by one of the Richardson company's launches, and that of Mr E. B Brookes, contractor at the Napier Breakwater. A fisherman with a rowtng boat also lent assistance, his net being- used as a drag. After ascertaining from people on ihe beach the approximate position at which the boy was seen to sink, Constable Wiiliamson swam out from the beach, and directed the vessels in their cearch. Dragging operations continued without success for more than an hour, until at 3.10 p.m. the body was discovered much nearer the shore tban the place where it sank, the water at the spot being three feet deep only. It was taken ashore by Constable Wiiliamson, assisted by Mr Eoy Giddy and Mr Apted. DOCTOR'S EFFORTS FAIL. Dr. G. E. Waterworth, who had previously qttended Allan McRae at the horne nearby of Mrs Gordon Mason, made eft'orts to ievive the brother, assisted by Mrs Apted, but success did not attend their efforts. Allan McRae, aHhough suffering from shock, was sufficiently recovered to go horne. The body of Laurie was taken to the home of the boy-s' parents, Mr and Mrs D. B. McRae, Lawrence . road, Napier. Mr McRae, father of the unfortunate iad, is a well-known and xespected citizen of Napier, employed by Ellisou and Duncan, Ltd., Port Ahuriri. He was prominent in public affairs, and is chairman of the Napier branch of the New Zealand Labour Party, and president of the Port Ahuriri Progressive Association. He is also an enthusiastic supporter of the Rugby League code, being a member of the Board of Control of the Hawke's Bay Rugby League. The accident appears to have been due to an unfortunate set of circumgtances which xarely obtain. The Westshore beach, which has been a very popular bathing resort ever Bince the 1931 earthquake, had never until now been the scene of a bathing fatality since that time. There were very few people on fhe beach at the time, although a large crowd collected after the accident, and those present were mainly children who could not swim well enough to attempt a rescue. The sea was by no means rough enough to render bathing darigerous.