TWO BATHING TRAGEDIES ON WEST COAST

Shannon News, 18 January 1929, Page 2

TWO BATHING TRAGEDIES ON WEST COAST

NARROW ESCAPE OP THIRD .YOUTH.

WESTPORT, Last. Night

Two bathing fatalities occurred m the Buller district to-day. Vivian Clark senior apprentice on the. s.s Trewklden which arrived from Wellington at 1 pjn. to-day, went, for a bathe in the floating basin with Potter, a fd*low apprentice. Potter swam out to a Buoy and was returning to shore when lie passed Clark. .Looking round as lie was near the shore he saw Clark disappearing and swam ever towards him but saw nothing further of Clark until his body was rceov red some 20 minutes later by the oliieers of the s.s. Kaimanawa who arrived on the scene with a rope. Deceased was IS years of age and a native of Port Talbot, South Wales, where his parents reside. The’other fatality occurred at Karamea, the victim being Charles Hodgson, 20 years of'ago, a driver for Geo. Burrows, royal mail motor contractor hr the Westport-Koramea service. Hodgson and Ron Simpson were bathing in a lagoon at Quinlan's bridge and Hodgson got out of his depth and was drowned. Simpson also had a narrow escape. A roadman named Senior bringing him out in an exhausted state. An inquest was held to-night by Coroner Fox touching the death of Clark when a verdict of accidental drowning was returned.