LONG POINT TRAGEDY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22986, 15 September 1936, Page 9

LONG POINT TRAGEDY

MR C. CONNELL’S BRAVERY RECOGNISED BY ROYAL HUMANE SOCIETY (Per United Press Association) CHRISTCHURCH, Sept. 14. Special mention of an attempted rescue from drowning at Long Point, on the South Otago coast, by Mr Charles Connell, who lost 'his life in the attempt, was made at a meeting to-day of the court of directors of Royal Humane Society. The chairman, Canon W. S. Bean, said the society regarded Mr Connell’s action as a very gallant effort. The award made was an In Memoriam certificate and a silver medal. Other awards were as follows: Bronze Medal. —Thoma§ Gillings, rescue from drowning in the Waikato River; Charles Vernon Spragg, rescue and attempted rescue at Waihi Beach, Hawera; Keith Valentine Blomfield, rescue at Russell, Bay of Islands. Certificates. Derek Thorburn, rescue at Waitotara; Constable Benson Gillard, rescue at Tangimoana; George Dunn, rescue at Gisborne. Letters of commendation.—Francis Henry Greenaway and Gordon Standish, rescue and attempted rescue at Waihi beach, Hawera; Clifford George Scarlett, rescue near Upper Moutere; Sydney Bowker, rescue at Titirangi, Auckland; Mary Eleanor Reece, rescue at Weymouth, Auckland.

The triple tragedy in which Mr Connell was one of those who lost their lives, occurred on January 21. 1934" Messrs G. G. Menzies and Gordon Sproat, teachers, of Invercargill, T. K. Stickle, a teacher, of Mataura, and Charles Connell, a tobacconist and billiard saloon proprietor, of Owaka, went to Long Point on a fishing expedition. They had not long started operations when a huge wave washed over the rock on which they were standing and. swept Messrs Menzies and Sproat into the sea. Fishing lines were thrown to them by the men on the rock, but they were unable to catch hold of these, so Mr Connell tied a fishing line around his waist and giving the other end to Mr Stickle, who could not swim, jumped into the seething cauldron below. He caught hold of Mr Sproat and brought him to the edge of the rock, but owing to the fringe of kelp neither man could gain a foothold. The three men endeavoured to swim round and keep afloat, but soon became exhausted and disappeared from view.