NATIVE PICNIC ENDS IN TRAGEDY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 2957, 3 November 1925, Page 3

NATIVE PICNIC ENDS IN TRAGEDY.

BOYS’ BRAVE BATTLE AGAINST TIDE. ' Tauranga, Last Night. An accident at Matakana Island resulted in the drowning of .one Maori was the tragic end to a native picnic yesterday. After dinner eight natives left one part of the Island for another. They had to cross a wide and deep channel, nearly a mile wide at high tide. Except the deceased the party were all young, between nine and twenty. A small dinghy of six feet was used and made two trips. On returning at about six o’eldck, the whole party crowded in to the cockleshell. The wind was against the tide, making a choppy sea. When about halfway across, some alarm was felt as to the safty of the craft and two agreed to get out and swim. As they were doing so, the boat capsized, but did not sink. Deceased struck out for the shore, but failed ~ to reach it. Two girls clung to the - boat and a native lad, Hipirini aged seventeen years, succeeded in undressing- He took the rope in his teeth and after half an hour’s struggle towed the boat to shallow water! All three were much exhausted. A man from the shore, William Wright, meantime got out to Hiripirini and got the three ashore. * Another occupant, Tiui Tawhiti, aged sixteen years, pluckilv saved his brother aged nine years, after a long swim with the little lad in one arm. lwo other V -iris in the boat were good swimmers and swam ashore. The body has not been recovered.