TOLL OF DROWNINGS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 48, 25 January 1938, Page 7

TOLL OF DROWNINGS.

FIVE WEEKS’ LIST. THIRTY-SIX RESCUES REPORTED. AUCKLAND, Jan. 24. Swimming, fishing and boating accidents have again taken heavy toll throughout New Zealand this summer, 35 persons having been drowned since December 18, a period of just over five weeks. Twenty-three of these fatalities occurred in the Auckland province, although only a very small proportion happened in or near the city. ' During the same period, according, to files 36 persons were rescued from drowning, and it is probable that many more unrecorded incidents of a minor nature occurred. The great majority of the rescues also took place in the Auckland provincial district. Although other contributory causes were present in a number of cases, most of the accidents were primarily due to the victims’ inability either to swim at all or to swim strongly enough to get themselves out of difficulties. A regrettable feature was the large proportion of children and youths concerned, 22 being drowned and 11 being rescued. Weight is, therefore, added to the arguments of the Canterbury Education Board, which, at its meeting on Friday, expressed concern at the death-roll from drowning and decided to make urgent representations to the Government to have swimming made a compulsory subject in the schools. MANY BATHING FATALITIES. Of the other persons drowned, 12 were men and one was a woman. Sixteen men and nine women were rescued, ,in addition to the 11 children previously mentioned. Many of the accidents occurred when bathers were swept by river or tidal currents out of their depth and, through inability to swim, were unable to reach the shore again A number were drowned or narrowly escaped that fate when sailing boats and dinghies capsized. Particularly tragic was the drowning of one man who went to the rescue of another person who was in difficulties. In this connection several other would-be rescuers had to receive help after they had gone to tho aid of bathers requiring assistance.