FATAL BOAT ACCIDENT.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1299, 22 March 1883, Page 2

FATAL BOAT ACCIDENT.

Browning of Patrick Make?, We regret having to record the death by drowning cf Patrick Maher, an old resident in Gisborne. From the particulars we have been able to gather, we are enabled to give our readers the true version of the disaster, although there are eo many different stories told that it is difficult to disc. ivcr the actual facta. It appears that MrM. McLeod wanted to have a punt removed from the Turanganui River to the Waipuoa River, and had applied to Messrs Kennedy and Bennett for the steamer, but if our informatien be correct the. firm refused on the ground that the weather . was not suitable. He then secured a whaleboat and got four of his employees to tow the punt. Their names were Patrick Maher, the deceased, Alexander Gregg. Thomas Pratt, and Alexander Sinclair. They left the river on Tuesday morning at 10 o'clock, and crossed the Ray under sail, until nearing the mouth of the Wuipaoa River, when the wind became adverse. They then anchored the punt, and proceeded to row over the bar at mouth of the river, but got into the breakers. A sea struck the boat, lif ting the rudder completely out of the sockets. The boat broached to and turned turtle. The men held on for some time, but suddenly Maher was missed, and not seen again. The others still clung to the boat as men in such danger only can do. Fortunately the accident was observed from Pakirikiri, and a boat was manned and I pulled across the river, and as Gregg, Pratt, : and Sinclair with the boat were nearing the j spit on this side of the river, the rescuers i rushed in and saved them, although not without great risk to themselves. The men : when brought to shore were greatly exhausted , and would undoubtedly have met with the - fate of their companion, had it not been for the promptitude of the rescuers. They were as soon as possible removed to Mr Delery’s, where every attention was paid to them. , Maher's body has not yet been recovered, , although overy search has, and is, being still i made for it. He was 56 years of age, a nai tive of Ireland, and had served for a long . time in the army. He leaves a wife and large family, fortunately fur the most part I grown up.