BROTHERS DROWNED AT OHOPE BEACH

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5319, 4 February 1947, Page 5

BROTHERS DROWNED AT OHOPE BEACH

SISTER IS RE^UED y bodies not recovered last night 5. - s t ; WHAKATANE, Last Niglit. Two young children, brothers, 5 aged re^peetively nine aYid tea ycars, were drowned at Ohpph Beach yesterday morning whiip pcddling in the surf. Their sistcr, aged eight, was also Swejpt ofi her feet by the breakers, but she was rescued. Up to to-night, the ' bodies. had not been r&covered. The victims were jEmes and Brian O'Sulliyan, sons.'qf Mr. and Mrs. G. A. O'Sullivan,. of : 21 Trinity Avenue, Lower Hutt. ,k The boys, with their sistfei*, Margaret, were playing on the edge oi the surf opposite Mahy's .store,'ott the western end of the beach, at about 10 o'clock. The breakers Were unusually rough and one of these carried the children otf their feet and swept them into the sea. Although there were a great mahypeople on the beach, it appears fKdf few were bathinig* at that spot, which ir. regarded as safe at all times, as the sand shelves very gradually into. the sea. However, Mr. B. Snell, 'of Hamilton, noticed the plight of the "girl and got her to safety. Only when the child had recovered al'ter artificial respiration had been applied did the bystanders learri oi * the fate of her brothers, as nobody had noticed them. • - An aeroplane from Rotorua, pilah ed. by Mr. S. J. Blackmore,*. and a police launch, aided a volunteer beach patrol, . which continued £q search the beach until dark. Diagging operations began' to-day but so far, without result. Tlje children were on holiday with' their parents. . •.