BATHERS DROWNED

Hokitika Guardian, 26 January 1932, Page 2

BATHERS DROWNED

MAN CARRIED INTO DEEP WATER. By Teleyraph—Per Press Association) TE AWAMUTU, January 23. Victor M’Keown, aged twenty-six, a resident of Cambridge, was drowned in the- Puniu River yesterday eiening. M’Keown, wlio was unable to swim, entered the river with a companion and bathed in the shallows. Apparently he was caught by a current and jarried into deep water. The companion’s attention was first arrested by a call for help, but lie was unable to see anyone, and he-then missed M’Keown. Assistance was summoned and the locality was searched >v divers. It was not until dark that the body was located in twelve feet of water .and it was impossible to do inything more at that hour. The party iwaited till daylight this morning, when the body was recovered. BOY DROWNED IN BATHS. EXTR AOR D 1 NARY A CCI DENT. TE AWAMUTy, January 23. The second fatality within twentyfour hours occurred in the public swimming baths this afternoon, Brian Harvey, nine years of age, whose parents reside at Avenue Road, New Plymouth, being drowned in tragic circumstances. Together with a sister, twelve years of age, he left his aunt’s home at 3 o’clock for the baths, where there was an attendance of over sixty people. The two children separated, Brian being neither noticed nor missed till nearly 4 o’clock, when a girl swimmer, Jean Fleming, reported that her foot had touched something at the bottom of the baths, investigation revealing deceased about one-third of the distance from the shallow end in about 5 feet of wrfter. Artificial respiration was tried for over an ljour but without avail. Nobody noticed deceased enter the water, nor heard -l-ies of distress. Doctors surmise that he must have been in the water at least a quarter of an hour before he was found.

FATHER LOSES LIFE. ATTEMPTING TO RESCUE DAUGHTERS. WHAKATANE, Januray 23. This afternoon Irene Wilson, aged 16, in company with two younger sisters, welit to bathe in the Whakataiie River, Her father heard shouts, hastened to the river and saw his daughters struggling in deep water. The father rescued one child, Irene, and when attempting to save another collapsed and wa» drowned.