WANGANUI SENSATION

Hokitika Guardian, 27 March 1926, Page 3

WANGANUI SENSATION

EXTR AORDIN AR Y FKATUIIES. TWO LIVES LOST. [nv TELKtiKArn—pee phess association.] WANGANUI. March 2ti. A sensation was caused at the' town wharf to-day when a man, at present unknown, jumped from tlio top of the town bridge, about midday. Throe in tho vicinity immediately entered tlio river, one of these being W. Hamilton, a boy of nineteen, who is ail A.IL on tho steamer Invercargill, Hamilton was seen to swim in the direction of tlio man, who was still floating when tlio former was carried down opposite the Ngatiawn. which was berthed below tho Invercargill, when he suddenly sank. Another man, N. Howe, got out as far as tho person who jumped off tli£ bridge, but was unable to retain his liohl of him. and the latter sank.

.Drugging has been commenced for the two bodies,. There was a strong ebb tide at the time.

The drowning sensation at Wanganui to-day was marked by extraordinary features. As yet the identity of the mail who made the tragic leap from the town bridge, lias not definitely been setablished, but it is believed by the police that he was Alexander .Mitchell, horse trainer, who is missing, and whose sons are assisting in the search for the body.

Mitchell was recently concerned in tins Demure ease, in which he claimed £2OOO damages lor an alleged breach of contract in connection with the lease of the racing filly Demure. His ease failed.

llefore noon yesterday, Mitchell approached a man named Young at the city end'of the bridge, asking him lor a piece of lead and a rope. Young asked what they were for, and Mitchell said they were to catch a colt.

Young complied with the request, and Mitchell, saying “I’ll fix it,” departed across the bridge. Shortly afterwards, a man. assumed to Im Mitchell, climbed the parapet of the footbridge, and jumped twentyfive feet into the river. The only ones who saw tliis were some distance away, though the bridge is near the centre of the city. Few were about at the time. However, tile man’s plight in the water was soon seen, and throe men, William Hamilton, N. Howe and A. Noyer, plunged in to assist. These were on the town wharf side, and the drowning man was on the far side of the river, so the rescuers had some distance to swim. There was a strong ebb tide running. The water was very cold, owing to a recent Hood. Hamilton and Noyer both were seamen on the s.s. Ipvoreargiil. Howe is a watersider. Hamilton, who was a strong swimmer, got out. in the current. Then he appealed for help, and suddenly lie sank. Presumably he was attacked by cramp. , . A boat was launched from the steamer Ngatiawa, and it almost readied Hamilton before he sank. Meanwhile, Noyer returned-to the shore, but Howe reached the body ot the drowned man. 'Unfortunately, he was too exhausted to hold the iiody up. and he himself was in a bad way when he was rescued by a boat from, the Invercargill. , Subsequently Howe was taken to tut Hospital, but he is now progressing well. . . Neither the body of the man who suicided, nor that of Hamilton has been recovered. Hamilton was a popular lad ol I. . His parents reside at Newtown, m \\ellington. , . Singular features of the tragedy are that it was enacted within a stones throw of the busiest part of the city, and over one hundred people. wh° quickly collected on the bridge and ti e wharf,' watched Hamilton go to Hs death in an effort to save the man v ho had leaped from he bridge.