TWO BOYS DROWNED IN BOATING ACCIDENT

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5295, 7 January 1947, Page 4

TWO BOYS DROWNED IN BOATING ACCIDENT

Tragedy At Eastern Beaph AUCKLAND, Last Night. Two boys are believed to Kave been drov/ned in a.dinghy, whieh . was observed to be , in difficulties and was later^found upturhed ojBF Eastern Beach tbis afternoon, An intensive searcn v/as conductecj by sea and air and the ne\ghbouring coast was combed in the evening for signs of a body, but no trace had been found late to-night. The hnissing boys are: Rex Seweombe Hodge, aged 14, son of Mr. , Frank Hodge, of Otahnhu, and Neville Arthur Bishop, aged 15, son of Mr. Thomas Henry Bishop, of Otahuhu. •. The hoys were camping with their pqvents at Eastern Beach and hired the dinghy at 2 p.m. Some time before 3 p.m. they were seen hy a man, apparently in difficulties, about a half-mile out to sea, trying to row towards the shore in a stiff southeasterly breeze. ' The man went to find a dinghy to g-o to their assistance, but when he next looked up the boys and the dinghy had disappeared. A search was organised by all the avajlable boats on the beach, and the Musik Point Radio station was notsfied and asked to obtain further assistance. As a result, a pollce launch and a New Zealand Coastguard launch were on their way to the scene before 4 p.m. They were followed by the air-sea rescue Catalina flying-boat. Extensive searches were made of the area, and the overturned dinghy was taken in tow by the police launch. No trace of the missing boys was discovered.