DOUBLE DROWNING

Hokitika Guardian, 25 January 1933, Page 5

DOUBLE DROWNING

AT BLAKETOWN TWO MEN LOSE LIVES. GREYMOUTH, January 25. A sad tragedy occurred at Biaketown beach yesterday afternoon about' 4 o’clock,, when two young men were drowned while bathing in the syi’f. The victims were ; Elias (Jack) Nordstrom, aged 24 years, of Turumaha Street. Charier, liferr McAnulty, aged '27 years, o*f Foundry Lane. The tragedy occurred when there were altogether about thirty surfers on th e scone, and was due to the two men being caught by an undertow just a,s the tide was making, and this, combined with their inability to Swim, caused them to be .swept out to sea. Valiant efforts werta mad e to save them, but they failed. The first intimation that surfers received that the two men were in difficulties wa s given by Mr William Smith, a postman, who wa s surfing, glome distance further south, and out from them. He rushed shorewards to have the reel manned, which was done in quick tittle. In th 3 meantime, Mr Ivan Jame s -Cjuriri, who was bathing in close proximity to Nordstrom and McAnulty noticed the men were in trouble, and he made every effort to. gav e McAnulty, who was clodeet to him, catching hold of him by the hair ol the head; but McAnulty, who was in a. badly exhausted state, struggled so much that after bringing him .about half a dozen yards shoreward, Curin was compelled to leave go hjg grip for his own safety, and com e ashore. Thos e present who had been frequently surfiing this season consider yesterday’s back-wash or undertow, was one of the strongest they ever experienced there, so much so that when it suddenly became prevalent, ft, was .exceedingly difficult for them. to keep their feet when only up to their waist in the surf. Both Nordstrom and McAnulty, who could not really siwm at all, waded out backwards until the surf was up to their armpits, when the undertow suddenly parried them off their feet, and beyond their depth. There wa s a calm, sea all day yesterday, and the waves were coming shorewards without a Toll, quickly breaking, and the ciesty billows were 1 r*>e of any great force ; but there wins a heavy suctiion apparent—strange' to gay—on a stretch just to the north ot where the crowd of surfers were disporting. As the tide turned, the wind changed from a northerly to a southwesterly direction, and the sum,, were compelled tio fight against the strong current or “set,” to the north.

Curin, who was swimming nearby, stated that he wellt to the deceaseds’ assistance as scon as Ins noticed that they were in difficulie-s, but ho was hampered by the strong under-tow After some time, he succeeded in getting to McAnulty, but owing to the under-tow, and McAnulty’ he was forced to release him after bringing him about five or six yards closer to the shore. Curin called to Nordstrom to help in bringing McAnulty in, but by that time Nordstrom was himself in a very bad way, iand it was only a few moments later that he (Nordstrom) disappeared from view. Curin was unable to r e ach McAnulty again, and after considerable difficulty succeeded in getting to the shore. Re stated he was himself just beyond his depth, when it became known to him the men were in trouble. He was then just beyond the breakers. He had hold of McAnulty by the hair, and when McAnulty pulled him under the water he was forced to leave go. Some of the members of the newlyfonned Greymouth .Surf club were run-bathing on the beach at the time of the alarm and. they hurriedly secured the reel, but the two m e n were not to be seen when they had gone out, the line having broken twice before Mr Michael Gordon was ante to swim out on the first occasion; whilst it also broke before Mr peter Affleck swam out on the second occasion.. Another young man, Frank Moss, also swam out in search on the life line. The .reel was run out 330 yards, this being its limit. McAnulty and Nordstrom, who were regular .companions, had been in the water earlier in the afternoon, and had in again after lying on the s ajicl in the vicinity of 'where they undressed, bbth their towels being found at this .spot. They first wtent to the, beach about 2 p.m.

Mr Gordon White, who wa s operating tlie life-saving reel, sustained a severe laceration of Ids right, arm when he was struck bv the whirling handle of the reel.

Constable A. J. Paddy and R. Hill made, Inquiries a.t the beach. The police also began patrolling the beach, but up to a ’late hour last night the bodies had not been recovered, Elias (Jack) Nordstrom, who was aged .24 years, was a son of Mrs and thp late William John Nordstrom, of Badlington, Northumberland, England. He came to New Zealand four and a half years ago, and commenced work at the Dobron mine, whore he remained until that, inin e tempornri!” clo'ed down, ,about eighteen months ago. .Since than lie had resided at Tmmmaha Street, Greymouth, md bad been engaged in Tolle.f work. He is survived by his wife ; a daughter aged two years; his mother in England; and a brother. John Thomas (Dobson). Charles Kerr McAn'dtv, who was a native of Blantyre, Lanarkshire, Scotland, and was twenty-seven years of ago, is survived by his father, Mr An-

drew McAnulty, of Bl an tyr e , Scotland.; whilst he has <one brother in Christ- ■■ church. Mr Andrew McAnulty, who formerly resided at Dobson ; and one. sister in Now Zealand, Misk Mary McAnulty, with whom he had resided in Foundry Lane. In addition there are four other twisters in. Scotland, M e s James Gibson, Robertson, Morrvon- and Me-. Kinley, all of Blantyre. The lat o Mr,McAnulty had resided in New Zealand. !. for the past six years, and was formerly e m pl°yed as a miner at the Dob-; son mine; but in recent months he had been unemployed.