Drowning Accident.

Huntly Press and District Gazette, Volume 4, 15 January 1915, Page 2

Drowning Accident.

A very sad drowning accident occurred in the River on Friday afternoon last.

A party of bathers went for a swim on a sandbank at Kimihia. The water was shallow on the sandbank, but round about and especially on the downstream side it was from ten to fifteen feet deep, end of the bank falling away very steeply. After bathing for some time in safety, one of the bathers, approaching too near the edge of the sandbank, found himself in difficulties, the bank breaking away and letting him into the deep water. He managed to keep afloat and called out for assistance, the victim of the accident, Miles Green, going to the edge of the bank to help him back. The bank'giving way a second time, both found themselves struggling in the water, and as the second one to fall in could not swim at all and the first only a little, matters were soon seen to be serious. By this time others of the bathers had heard the cries of distress and had hurried to the rescue. After some diffiiculty, the man who had ’first fallen in was rescued, but the other one had sunk and could not be locaed.

Information was given to the Police, who immediately proceeded to the scene of the accident to search for the body, their efforts being succesful about five o’clock.

An inquest was held by the Magistrate (Mr Rawson) on Saturday, when a verdict of “Accidental Death” was returned. Deceased, who was on a visit to some friends at Kimihia. is not long out from the Old Country, and resided at Auckland. He leaves a widow and one child to mourn his loss.

The funeral took place on Sunday at the Kimihia Cemetery, there being a large concourse of people present to show their sympathy with the relatives of the deceased.