FATAL ACCIDENT IN HOKITIKA RIVER.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 1016, 2 April 1883, Page 3

FATAL ACCIDENT IN HOKITIKA RIVER.

A boat accident recently occurred on the Hokitika river by , which one of a survey, party was drowned. The surveyor (Mr -.Murray) had men-strict injunctions ■not tp,|eni4i n m-fhe coming down the rapids, but to slack her down by rope ; and had these orders been carried out, the accident would not have occurred. But it appears that George; Collier j who hadjeharge, and was steering, attempted to shoot the fall with the boat’s head down the stream, and when in the rapids lost his presence of mind, and altered the course, and then immediately tried to again alter it. This had the effect of bringing her across the current, when she struck the rock with a speed of 20 knots an hour and went to atoms. Selby was thrown clean on top ; Hannam grasped the rock and struggled on to it; and looking down they saw youn s Blair, foul of a rope, hanging in the water. They pulled him up by the hair,: and then saw Collier flying down the current, standing well in the water, and having hold of an oar. Just then he struck a sunken rock and capsized. He came up again without the’ oar, looked towards his mates, waved his hands ‘ ‘ good-bye,” aind was gone for, ever. The three men mentioned as having gained the rock in the centre of the torrent remained on it for thirty hours before they were rescued. ;