CAR PLUNGES DOWN BANK.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3843, 11 September 1928, Page 3

CAR PLUNGES DOWN BANK.

DOUBLE FATALITY IN BULLER GORGE. TWO PROMINENT CITIZENS OF WEST COAST DROWNED., Westport, Last Night. A shocking double fatality occurred at Blackwater Creek in the Buller Gorge late on Sunday evening, when a car driven by Robert Tannahill Watson, a sawmiller and chairman of directors of the Charming Creek Coal Company, and also having as occupants Stephen John Atkinson, a building and bridge contractor and Charles N. Buist, mining manager of the Charming Creek Coal Mining Company, left the road at the entrance to the Blackwater Creek bridge and plunged down about 70 feet into the creek. Watson and Atkinson were drowned. Buist had a miraculous escape He not knowing what had happened until he shot up out of the water. He made for the bank and cooeed and called, but could get no ,reply, so went back to Berling’s hotel and phoned to the police at Westport.

Parties proceeded to the scene of the accident, but could do nothing until this morning, when both bodies were recovered, that of Watson being in the car and Atkinson two chains down the stream. Both victims wore prominent citizen - ' -and highly esteemed and the tragedy cast a gloom over the district. Watson was 63 years of age and leaves a widow and two children. He took an interest in the turf and imported the defunct Elkton Hall and was also interested in the trotter, Golden Devon. Atkinson, who was 50 years of age, leaves a widow and a family of seven. He made a name for himself as a cyclist a quai’ter of a century ago, when he won all the cycling events he entered for at Westport, Greymouth and Hokitika. He was also a member of the Ivawatiri crew, which held an unbeaten record at the New Zealand rowing championships, winning the championship four two years in succession. The inquest was opened this af-. ternoon for identification purposes and adjourned till Friday.