A STRUGGLE WITH THE WAVES.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2424, 23 December 1880, Page 4

A STRUGGLE WITH THE WAVES.

In the absence of safe and better accomodation for bathing at Dunedin, where the bay has been converted into a pernicious cesspool by the City sewers, a certain Mr Kingston has lately erected bathing houses on the sands at the Ocean Beach, with ropes moored on shore, to which the bathers cling while sporting among the breakers. The details of the first fatal accident at these baths, are thus given in the 44 Daily Times” :—A fatal accident occurred on Tuesday morning at the Ocean Beach surf baths, by which a young woman named Elizabeth Randall lost her life, her body being carried out to sea. She and a companion named Louisa Martin (both being employed at the Rainbow Hotel, George street), had gone out to have a bath at the Beach. For some time after entering the water they were careful to keep a hold upon the rope, which is laid down for the safety of bathers, but in some unexplained way Miss Randall got away from it, and Miss Martin in her excitement also let go. Mr Kingston, the proprietor of the baths, was standing with his wife on the beach, and hearing screams, rushed in to tho assistance of the girls. He was successful in reaching both of them and got them to a slight mound in the sand some distance from shore, hero he left Miss Randall whilst he attempted to get Miss Martin into safety,hut tho force of the under-current appears to have been too much for him. Happily Mr John Pattinson, of the firm of Armstrong and Pattinson, was on the beach and had his attention attracted to the spot. He got a life-buoy from Mrs Kingston, and courageously went to the rescue. Reaching Mr Kingston, and Miss Martin, he placed tho life-buoy round the latter, and then turned his attention to Mr Kingston, whom ho succeeded in getting to shore, although just in time, for he was insensible. Then Mr Pattinson also got Mis Martin in safety. Miss Randall, however, had been washed off the mound by a breaker and her body drifted out to sea. Mr Kingston remained insensible for about a couple of hours, but was brought round again after a good deal of trouble; whilst Miss Martiu was also for a short time insensible.