Picnic Fatality

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 50, 15 March 1937, Page 7

Picnic Fatality

-Press Asiooiation.)

N.Z. CRICKETER Drowned at Farewell to N«Z« Representaitve COULD NOT'SWIM

(By Telegnph-

AUCKLAND^ Tliis Day. • , Tragedy overtook a party of SO cricketers and friends at a farewell picnic to Jack Cowie, a member of the New Zealand team fer England, resulting in the death by drowning at Murray's Bay, Hauraki Gulf, at 9 o'clock last night of Edward J. Dunning, Auckland representative cricketer. Mve membCrs of the party wero rowing in a dinghy to a launch moored 50 yards off-shore. When within 15 or 20 yards of the launch the dinghy was •truck by a breaker, filled with water and sank. » The Occnpanta were D. H. Hadley, David Hobbs, A, M. Matheson, F. Byerley and Dmxning. Three of the men swam to the launch and Dunning, who was unable to swkn, was supported for nearly half fen hour by Hobbs. The owner of the launch, G. Ratcliffe, and another man dived in, but soon became exhausted. A line was thrown to Hobbs, who, exhausted, grabbed the jope and was hauled ashore. Dunning could not be found in the darknesa. His body was found this morUing on the beach at Murray's Bay. Dunning was a son of Mr. W. J. Dunning, a well-known Rodney cricke';er. He caiae to Auckland this sea* eon and joined the Grafton Club. He was n cnembef of the Auckland repre•entative team on its South Island tour, and a member of the Maoriland team to Fiji twcr years ago. He played against the M.C.C. at Matamata last year. He was a very promising young player, being a good batsman and an •xceptional field.