SAD DROWNING ACCIDENT

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 47, 13 July 1912, Page 5

SAD DROWNING ACCIDENT

CAPSIZE OF A LAUNCH. By Telegraph—Press Association. Blenheim, Friday. A sad case of drowning occurred in Wairau Bay yesterday. Wm. Aldridge and Edward Corlett, both single men, were crossing the bar inwards from Point Underwood in an oil launch, and the sea being very rough on the bar the boat capsized. Both men were drowned. The bodies were washed up on the beach. Blenheim. Last Night. Further details regarding the Wairau bar drowning fatality state that a fall of cement at Dalgety's new store cut the telephone wires, preventing details being sent before. The victims were William Aldridge, aged 28. and Edward Collett, aged 25, cousins, and unmarried. They were engaged in the fishing trade, and left in a motor launch for Port Underwood on Monday. When returning yesterday they attempted to negotiate the Wairau bar. The sea was not extraordinarily rough, but an unusually powerful roller struck the launch at.a critical moment and capsized her. The harbormaster and his assistant went across to the open beach, but saw no signs of the men. It was impossible to traverse the bar in an open boat. The harbormaster communicated with the steamer Wairau, and the cantain sent out a lifeboat, but the search was Tinsuccessful. The body of Aldridge was , picked up on the beach near the bar at | 5.30 p.m. and Collett's at the same place i early this morning. The launch was | smashed to pieces.