MAN DROWNED

Hokitika Guardian, 20 February 1933, Page 4

MAN DROWNED

AT 7 MILE BEACH

A SURFING FATALITY.

GREYMOUTH, February 20. A ci.ro wnuig fatality, the fourth on the. West Cease within as many weeks, took place yesterday morning on the Rapalioe Beach, seven miles from GreVmouth, when a young man, Arthur Mehdtoii.. lent his life under (similar cireumstaricetu to those which caused the deaths of Charles McAnulty and Elias Nordstrom off the Hlaketmyn Beach on January 24. The deceated, together with Jack, •Bdur-'hei;.’, tlhrold . Prescott and Ibay Or oca u ere surfing about fifty yards from the shore further out- than the remainder of the party, with the two first mentioned, a little further out even than Prescott and Cross, when a midden ‘backwißh, presumably caused through the tide falling, made them all decide to make for the shore. Apparently the deceased, who could swim hpt who was not a strong swimmer, got into difficulties fighting the hackwash and he was swept under. The. tragedy occurred shortly after eleven o’clock.

Jack Boucher who was the only eyewitness of the drowning, described the fatality as follows had, been '.turfing in company with Nicholson, Prescott and Ora's, for about, twenty minutes, about fifty yards from, the beach when I noticed a sudden strong backwash. I considered it was dan* gerouts, and as I was getting cold at the time I decided to make for the shore. The water was up to my.chest at the time. As I started to make way in I heard Nicholson cry. out for assistance; he top., apparently. being caught in the set as lie had been taken further out, and a big breaker, was breaking over him. I went hack ,to his assistance and secured a hold, of him and endeavoured to bring him in, but wie were swept further out, and a big breaker broke , right on top cf us, breaking my .hold. The next time I saw him lie had been swept thirty vard'i further out, and ai» by this time I was exhausted. I had to begin and fight for my own life, and-1 consider that I was very lucky to gain the beach. Nicholson was distressed when I had hold of him and it was very shortly after the big breaker hit - us that he disappeared for the last time.” i Deceased was 39 years of age. and a native of 1 Cumberland, England. Besides his mother lie i's survived by five sisters and two brothers, all in England,, his only, relatives.- in New Zealand being Mr and Mas G. H. Swinburne, of Greymouth, his uncle and aunt (with whom he resided) and cousins in Greymouth and the North Island. It will be four years on Feb- - ruary 27th. since he arrived in New Zealand, and he came direct to Greymouth, commencing work ,at the. Dobson -mine, where he remained up till about six months ago. A tragic feature of. his death i's that lie had intended leaving next, month on return to England to rejoin his family. He was well-known in Greymouth as a singer and was a member of the Holy Trinity Church choir and the Philharmonic Society