TWO DROWNINGS

Hokitika Guardian, 18 February 1931, Page 2

TWO DROWNINGS

RESCUE BY A WOMAN, AUCKLAND, February 16. A drowning accident occurred near the Ranmure wharf, in the Tnmaki River, shortly belore two o’clock • yesterday afternoon, the victim being Chris Stephens, aged fifteen, of Harris Road, Panmure, , The accident occurred within sight of two other hoys who were with him, but attempts at rescue failed. He was unable to swim, and got into difficulties in deep water, Thomas Gordon Hickley, an orphnn, aged twenty-one, was drowned at Port Waikato on Sunday afternoon. Hickey was a member of a netting party of Onewhero residents, who were engaged in catching mullet and flounder at Port Waikato. With another youth, William Ingram, aged seventeen, whose parents live on a farm at Onewhero, he was on the deep end of the net, nnd apparently was not aware of the existence of a ledge, which drops sharply a little distance from the shore. Neither of the youths could swim, and when they went beyond the ledge they were soon in difficulties. Only one member of the party of eleven, Miss Donaldson, of Auckland, could swim, ami she succeeded in renching Ingram and taking him ashore.