DROWNING FATALITIES

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 10713, 30 December 1912, Page 5

DROWNING FATALITIES

TWO LIVES LOST. , (By Telegraph—tress Auociation.'J CHRISTGHIJBCH. Last Night. Two drowning fatalities occurred at Sumner to-day. There was a 6trong l.orth-wester blowing which apparent- | iy had t-i:e effect of making the boacn dangerous, and strong swimimers ' r ound themselves in difficulties. A man named George Richard! Atkinson, a resident of Woolsjxm, and another man, about three months out from England, went to Sumner 'with his wife and three children this morning, and about noon lie went for a, swim near the pier. The tide was running out very fast, and tho under-tow caught him. Others went to his aid, and' it is said that' he told, one man who got him to where he could put his feet on the bottom, that he was jJI right, but as soon as he was lot go he disappeared and was not seen again. . At tho time of telegraphing the. body had lot been recovered. About 3 o'clock this afternoon when, the New South Wales and other visiting swimmers were about to give & oemonstrat.on of life-saving methods i rear the pier at Sumner a report was' brought that a man was in </rave difficulties in the water towards the baths end of the beach. The ivhole party with their apparatus set off at once. The man could be seen j'ar out. a"d Solomon* and Hays, two Australian went towards him. Wh'.tt' they were within roughly a hundred yards of him, he was heen to tb" ow up his hands and disappear. SrJomons dived but could find no sigr of him, : and returned f-o tlio shore, The man, whose age is 69 years, ; s l.amed Bathurst, and resided in Harner street Sydenham. He wag bathing with his wife, his son, and some friends. | FUHtHER PARTICULARS. Further particulars of tho drowning fatalaties are to the effect- that the Sydney swimmers show*! great pluck in endeavouring to assist Bathi urst. Soitimons and Hays dived score of 'times, but without avail. This is th-Mi first failure to save life tinder sin l 'Jar circumstances, due probably tovh&ving received the alarm too late, vjlomons has rescind nearly eighty persons in Sydney. , Ernest' Charles Bathurst, the fuil name of" the drowned man, -c- - SI - . Albans, and was aged 59. ■ At the time of the fatality he was surfing wic'i his wife, son, and two men.

George I')chard Atkinson, the oth**r victim, way 42 years of ago. an-*. 1 resided at Linwood He was employed by the Kaiapoi Woollen Company. A collection taken up on the beabh • after the fa tali tv. in aid of the widow and family, resulted in over £36 being given, and promises of further amounts were also made. . The bodies are still unrrecovered, the general opinion being that they were swept out to sea. , BRISBANE TRAGEDY. THREE YOUNG MEN DROWNED. (Received Last Niejht. 5.5 o'clock.) BRISBANE. December 29. Ag irln amed Fobbs getting into difficulties? while surf bathing at Newport, three young men in turn went to her assistance and all were drowned. The/girl was .afterwards .rescued, ri.Tnot; of tlif droM-ned. men are Willnm Wilson. Arthur Brookes, and Stonier Chapman.