DOUBLE DROWNING TRAGEDY

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 96, 10 May 1937, Page 8

DOUBLE DROWNING TRAGEDY

-Pre«s A«tnel»HoB.1 >

Canoe Capsizes Near Kawhia SEARCHERSV VIGIL

lh • Telecraph-

AUCKLAND, Last Night'. \ A double drowning tragedy overtool^ a party of four Maoris when an old. native canoe in which they were return>!' ing froin a football match at Kinohaku,, near Kawhia, capsized in the tidal rivor; in the upper reaches of Kawhia harbour1 about 7.30 p.m. on Saturday* Two Ofl the natives were drowned and two) others were exhausted when they reach-' ed the shore. • - The victims were:— i John Cunningham, aged about 3L single, of Owhiro and f onnerly . of j Taranaki. j George Kara, aged 24, single, of] Owhiro. - j The. party, which conr-r'sed Cunnipg-I ham, Kara and two othea Maorid named] John Tikina, aged 29, and ^Tom" Rei-j . hana, aged 22, left Kinohaku after thej two former had participated in tho] football match. They set out for their j homes at Owhiro on ihe tidal' river about 10 miles from Kawhia hoads. . When the canoe capsized the river was in high tide, which would make its width about two chains. . It is understood that- when the craft| overturned Cunningham clung io Kara,] who was a very fine swimmer, hut! 'Cunningham could not swim. The other two Maoris struck out for jthe bank on tho muddy side of the river. ■ jbut Reihana tired and sank. Tikina, who was also tiring, dived and after frantic efforts brought his companion to! -the surface. He then secnred a fioating. .paddie ahd with it towed Reihana. toi the muddy shallbws and on towards tho! . bank until hoth men. collapsed. Tho cries of the men attracted the attention ' of a carload of Maoris who wero passing and the two men were taken- On to ; dry land in a completely exhausted con- * dition. Constable Carran, of Kawhia, waa . summoned by telephone and the natives imrnediately tried io aTrange for a boatt to search for Kara and Cunningham, but there was none available. Soon it larga number of Maoris,- including near relatives and friends of the two men, assembled near the river. • Mfen, women and children, and eyen infants^ were grouped around the various fireo which were lit and a pathetic vigil was commenced in cold, sleety rain. They sat up through the night to await early morning and low tide, when a searelK for the two lost men could be resuaied* Cunningham wai a representativo( Rugby footballer and was wiell-knowui in the Kawhia district, where he waa very popular. The tragedy was a sad sequel to the opening of the season for the Kawhia. Rugby Union. : i;. A search party found the bodies of Cunningham and Kara in tho oarlj! hours of the morning within a chain of the spot where the canoe capsized. A® inquest was opened and adjourned untit May 16, .