FATAL BOAT ACCIDENT.

Inangahua Times, Volume IV, Issue 4, 3 December 1877, Page 2

FATAL BOAT ACCIDENT.

We take the following from the New Zealand Titnes :— On Wednesday evening a fatal accident qcourred iti the Kiver Waimakariri, through which Miss Fanny Gulliver of liauj»iora, eldest dau>jb er of Mr .James Gulliver, baker, met with her death., It appears that the deceased had been on a visit at her uncle's, Mr W. Westoo, of Kiiapoi, aud that she had accepted ti pressing invitation to have a trip dqwn the river in a lioat with her brother and soin,e others. The party, consisting of the deceased and her sister Alice, Miss Emma Weston, Master Prank Weston, aud Messrs Geqrge Gulliver and Johu Winterboura,ei started Irom the Swing Bridge at abo^t Q p m.^ the river being more than, usually smooth. When neanng the bar a, surfy w^ce ap« proacUed them, and the d,ecea,sed apparently taking fright at the wave, ?nd dreading the apparent roughness of the water, gave vent to an extraordinary soroam, at tho same time making a jump to one s;de of the boat, which upset .it, and tho whole party appears to have been at once immersed in the river. George Gulliver had the presence of mind to watch the sufoty of tho little cues, and by dint of grea,t exertion got the boat righted, and bavins? secured Alive Gulliver and F.ank Weston, was looking a,boufc for the rest when he saw Winterbourne attempting. to rescue the deceased, Tbe latter bad, however, only taken hold of a s^awl which the deceased had been wearing, and the only words he was heard to exclaim were, " Oh, my God, she*s gone." It was with great difidculty that GuU liver was enabled to drag Winterbourno to the shore. When ho was landed it was s.till doubtful whether ho was out of d>.nger, and as by thin time a considers t>U .number of persons were congregated on tbe scene, all possible restoratives were uspd. He was at once, together w,ith the ofliors, oonveyed to the fisherman's hu,t mar the pilot station, and Dr Oven^es w -is promptly in attendance with tho means for reanimation. The unfortunate girl B]* ears to bare been almost immediately drowned, as those who were in eight when t l • boat upset Bay they never saw her ri«*> There were several other boats in the river at the time, and all came to the aosisiunce at once, Mr Day and with him Mr Evans rendering every help. Jfjr C\ IC. Dudley also, in bj,a sailing boat endea* voured to trace the deceased, but without avail. A thorough search was instituted throj^gbout the whole pf Wednesday uig^t and d\iring the greater part of yea.tesd.ay, but nothing bad been seen of tho corpse when our despatch left last evening, and, it waft intended to continue tl\o searoh throughout the night.