DROWNING FATALITY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 2410, 28 March 1922, Page 3

DROWNING FATALITY.

AT ROBINSON’S LAKE. TWO BROTHERS LOSE THEIR LIVES. j A sad drowning fatality occurred at what is known as No. 1 Lake in Messrs Robinson Bros.’ run, .abont three miles from Foxton, on Sunday afternoon, whereby Samuel Marsden (“Skip”) Baker, aged 20 years, married, and bis brother, Peter, aged 24 yeprs, married, both local residents, were drowned. It appears that the two brothers, accompanied by a boy named John Gupwell, 12 years of age, proceeded to the lake on an eel-spearing expedition on Sunday afternoon. Several fish were speared on the margin of the lake, when the party happened on an old flat-bottomed boat, and decided to put out in it. By some means the boat swamped when in iibout the centre of the lake, and the three were precipitated into the water. Peter Baker assisted the lad, but Seeing his brother in difficulties, left the lad and told him to go for the shore. He then swam back to his brother’s assistance.

Gupwell saw the brother swimming, but on looking back a second time disappeared.

Gupwell states that he heard one of the brothers groaning as if attacked with cramp. Gupwell managed to reach the shore, and proceeded from the scene with all haste and informed the police. _

At- daybreak yesterday morning Constables Owen and O’Donoghue proceeded to the lake and found two hats belonging to the two deceased on the western shore of th« lake, and also the boat, which had dri/ted with the wind. Further on, rbe'coat of <‘Skip” Baker was seen in (he water, and recovered. ' A party with boats and dragging material subsequently proceeded to flic lake, and operations were commenced to recover the bodies.

The weeds v are hampering dragging operations;-

Mr “Skip” Baker was for a number of years employed in the blacksmithing shop of the Foxton Engineering Co., but recently had been employed on the septic tank .construction work. He was well-known in football and musical circles, and was a member of the Maori Pioneer Entertainers which toured the Wellington province a few months ago. He leaves a wife and two young children. Mr Peter Baker was employed at Mr W. Nve’s mill. He leaves a wife but no children. The lake is well-known to duck shootisfs. Its extent is about threequarters of a mile by a mile and a quarter. In parts towards the centre the water is from 9ft. to /12ft. deep. The'water is shallow for some distance from the eastern hank. Mr Bert Dunn, who knows the hike well, informed our representative that if the boat swamped at the spot indicated by the lad Gupwell, a few yards swimming in the opposite direction to that taken by the unfortunate men would have brought them to a slightly submerged island,'used as a “mai mai” by duck shooters, from which they could have waded to the shore.

Messrs Bert Dunn, Meder and F. Tliynne went out! last night with, acetylene lamps, and endeavoured to search the bottom. They could see to a depth of three feet six inches, but the' lights were not strong enough to penetrate to a greater depth. The party had a weird experience during the electric storm, which >intermittently lit up the lake and countryside.

The men employed on the septic tank works, with others, are ing the police To recover the bodies.

The mother of the two (deceased, jMrs Martenga Baker, resides at Otnki, where the brothers were bom.

■The uncle, Mr Samuel Epia, and two brothers of deceased, also Mr J. Holden, Mrs Baker’s brother, arrived from Otaki and Wellington respectively yesterday, and are assisting in the search.

The tragedy cast quite a gloom over the town, and the sympathy of the townspeople is extended to the relatives in the disaster which has come upon them.

ONE BODY RECOVERED. Constable Owen I’eturned with the news, as we go to press, that "the body of Mr S. Baker had been recovered about 100 yards from the west shore of the lake.