OTAGO.

Hawke's Bay Weekly Times, Volume 2, Issue 102, 14 December 1868, Page 300

OTAGO.

BOAT ACCIDENTS AT OTNEDm.pTHREE - - 7. - ■ T

(From the New Zealand San. lst Deceniber.) - Shoetit after. 8 o'clock yesterday, two young.men, one named Taylor, in the employ of Mr Brown, draper, and the other named M‘lntosh, shopman, to Mr Johnston, ironmonger, George- street, went oat for a pnll in a small boat; --They had not been out long before they found that it'would be .dangerous to: proceed further, and they headed the boat for iPeliohet Bay. Sea after sea broke over tbe boat, and there were at hand to enable them to bale, her oat; When opposite the jetty, a h 'ary. sea broke over the: boat which was than three parts filled with prater—and sank her. Taylor, who is said to have been a good swimmer, at -ones struck out for the shore, and swam to within ton yards of the jetty, when he oalled out to M'lntcsh “ Pin exhausted.”. A sea just then caught the poor fellow, struok him, knocking.him powerless, and;.throwing up his hands, he sank to rise no more. M‘lntosh managed to keep above water until Dr Barns and a Mr Wood, who witnessed the accident from the jetty, oame to his rescue iu a dingy, which, very fortunately, had been left moored to the baths. The police and the deputy-harbor-master (Captain Dickie) upon being informed of the accident, at once proceeded to the spot, but, in consequence of the Estate of the weather, it was deemed unadvisablo to make any attempt to recover the body of Taylor.

The public had hardly been put in possession of the particulars of Taylor’s death, when the alarm which was caused by it was increased by the reportthattwootber young men had been drowned a little lower down the hay. It is almost needless to say that the report was but too true. A little before noon, a party of six, consisting of Messrs J. W; Kempthorne, paying teller in the Bank of New South Wales; Corrigan ; A. J. Buisson; C. M’Donnell; Cotterill; and J. L. Pitt well (the last-mentioned gentleman, who only arrived in Dunedin a short time ago, was, we believe, assistant to Mr Boot, dentist, Princeas-stroet )\ started from the jetty in a new four-oared boat, called 'the Stranger, belonging to Mr Kempthorne, for a pull down the bay. Kempthorne, Buisson, M‘Donriel, and Corrigan took each an oar, and Mr Pitt well steered. The party proceeded safely until opposite Black Jack’s Point, when a heavy sea struck the boat, and nearly filled her ; so that she began to sink, and swinging round broadside to the . sea, she* oapsized. Mr Pittwell went under with the boat, he haying, got entangled with the tiller ropes, which he had wound round one of his feet so as to keep a strain on the rudder. Mr Kempthorne—* who is stated iby those who knew him to have been a most expert swimmer?—immediately made for the shore, and it posed that he sank before he readied it. None of the.survivors are able to say in what direction he swam, but there can he no doubt that the boat was at such a distance from the shore: as to render it nothing short of a miracle for any person who left it to have reached the land. There are some, however, who cling to the belief fbat Mr Kempthorne’s great swimming powers enabled.him to reach the Bhore in safety, and that he was so exhausted as not to be. able, to get further. It is only to be hoped, that: it may prove:so. • -The.boat soon righted herself, and the other four men who - had stuck to the oars managed to keep hold of >her until they were rescued by a fisherman, whose name’we have been unable to learn, who was a short distance behind in his boat when the aocident happened. Mr Pittweli’s body, whiohhad been in the water nearly three quarters of an hour, was recovered, and has sinoe been conveyed .to his: late residence, where it awaits a coroner’s inquest. : The survivors were landed' at, Mr Winton’s, at " Black Jack’s Point, where they were supplied with dry . clothing;'and ; received every at* bntidxu'. "'"L'' ’’ :