BATHING FATALITY AT MANAWATU HEADS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume L, Issue 3898, 24 January 1929, Page 3

BATHING FATALITY AT MANAWATU HEADS.

ELDERLY MAN LOSES HIS LIFE. ATTEMPT AT RESCUE NEARLY FATAL FOR YOUNG MAN. A drowning fatality occurred at Manawatu Heads about 1.30 on Sunday afternoon when Richard Thomas Polglase, a married man, aged 54, the son of a well-known Pahaatua settler, was drowned. Deceased together with his wife and small hoy, aged three, journeyed to the Foxton Beach from Pahiaftua on Sunday morning by car. After having lunch at one of the beach dining rooms deceased went for a walk along the ocean beach, and, meeting a friend, went in for a s'wim. He was only in the water a few minutes when he discovered he was in difficulties. His .friend discovered himself to be in a similar predicament and deceased called out for assistance. There was a big crowd both in the water and on the bealeh but no one appeared to be aware that deceased was in difficulties. A number of girls in the water between the two men and the shore were the (first to giveHthe alarm and they endeavoured to reach deceased by forming a chain but without result. Mr. W. Teasedale, of Messrs Watson Bros., Palmerston North, swam out to deceased but was carried past him and also got into'difficulties. Mr. and Mrs. Leo Collinson who were seated in a car facing the beach were Attracted to the scene by the cries of the girls and' Mr. Collinson hurriedly gathered up what car ropes he could which were joined on to a life belt procured from the bathing shed by Miss N. Rosan'oski, of Palmerston North. Mr. W. J. Nicholson, of Palmerston North, donned the belt and with (Mr. Collinson and other willing helpers manned the improvised line. Deceased cioiild not he seen by this time and at times Teasedale" was also lost from sight. The friend who had accompanied deceased for the swim, however, was washed close inshore where lie was assisted out in a very exhausted condition. Mr. Nicholson succeeded in locating deceased 'who was" floating face downwards and he was brought ashore where it was found that life was extinct and all efforts at ar-.. tificial respiration failed. The lifesaving reel had been procured by this time and Messrs Nicholson, - A. Campbell and E. Hollief with others concentrated on rescuing Teasedale. He was located after some difficulty in, an exhausted condition and brought ashore. Artificial respiration had 'to be carried out for some time before he recovered consciousness and after medical examination by Dr. E. Wyllie he was removed to a Palmerston North Hospital. “They all worked well and showed great pluck,” said Mr. L. Collinson when interviewed just after the fatality. “It is impossible to discriminate as there was such a large number of helpers, many of whom I did not Iknow. It ,was some time before Teasedale was got out and at times when he was lost from sight, we thought he was gone. Tho majority of the people both in and out of the water were unaware that anything untoward was happening lor some time. Teasedale undoubtedly owes his life to the fact that . there was a life line on the beach, together with the pluck of his rescuers.” Mr. Collinson was himself in the water up to bis armpits assisting in reslcue work. When word of the fatality was received Mg. J. Linklater, M.P., who was staying at the Beach over the week-end, lost no time in conveying a mattress and blankets to the scene which greatly added to the comfort and resuscitation of Teasedale. Teasedale, who was examined by Dr. E. M. Wyllie, was removed by car to a private hospital in Palmez*ston North where he is reported to be progressing well. The body of deceased was conveyed to the local morgue and later r elmloved to Pahiatua where the funeral was held yesterday. CORONIAL INQUIRY. . A colonial inquiry into the death of Richard Thomas Polglase was held in the local courthouse ou Monday before Mr. A. Fraser, Coroner. Clarence Ernest Polglase, a son of deceased, gave evidence of identification. James Belcher, an employee of deceased, stated that on Sunday morning lie set out for the Foxton beach Avifcli deceased and his wife and children. On arrival at the the party had a light lunch .and then proceeded out on to the ocean beach where deceased met an acquaintance with whom he went in for a swim. There were several other people in bathing at the time and deceased appeared to be swimming about twenty yards furtheV out than anyone else. A small boy first gave the alarm that deceased was in difficulties and several people wpnt out to his assistance. He was brought ashore within a few minutes but was unconscious as far as witness could tell. A doctor was sent for but on bis arrival half an hour afterwards he pronounced life to be extinct. Deceased was a good swimmer from boyhood and frequently went in bathing. He was in quite good health at the time of the tragedy. Only between twenty minutes and half an hour elapsed between the time deceased had dinned and entered the water. Everything possible was done to save deceased and one <man almost lost his life in an attempt to rescud him.

Two men brought deceased out of the water without the assistance of a line. The life line was brought down to the water and subsequently used in the rescue of another man. Constable Owen, in evidence, stated that at about 1.30 p.rn. on Sunday be received a telephone call from Manawatu Heads to the effect that a man had been drowned in the surf. Witness immediately proceeded to the ocean beach and there examined the body of deceased. The body was then quite limp and appeared to have been in the water only a short time. There was also another man lying on the sand in an unconscious condition and lie was removed to Palmerston North in a ear. Witness was informed that the latter man had attempted to rescue deceased. Witness removed the body of deceased to the Foxton morgue. A ,nmn was drdwned at the same spot two years previously. The tide was coming in at tho time of the accident. The Coroner asked if the life line was used to assist in bringing deceased out.

Constable Owen stated that it was used to assist dn bringing the other man out. The reel was kept in a shed despite the fact that there had been a good deal of newspaper correspondence over this fact. Possibly this was the only safe place to leave it. Local and beach residents knew where the reel was hut strangers to the seaside were ignorant of its whereabouts and it was usually strangers who got into difficulties.

A verdict that deceased met his death by accidental drowning was returned.'

From inquiries made this morning it was ascertained that Mr. W. Teasedale is now making good progress towards recovery. A drowning accident occurred at Wairoa last Saturday afternoon when a married man, Mr. Arthur Douglas Lyall, aged 24, was drowned in the Wairoa River. The deceased and a companion were skylarking in the water, when the former hacked into a deep hole, and disappeared. Dragging operations resulted in the recovery of the body the following day. At the inquest, the coroner returned a verdict of accidental death. Deceased was well known locally and is a son-in-law of Mrs. Gay, of Francis Street. Deceased had worked locally from time to time, lint, at the time of his death was in partnership in a side-show at the Wairoa Carnival He is a son of Mr. and Mrs. A. G. Lyall, of Palmerston North. He leaves a wife, Mrs. L. Lyall, of Foxton.