TWO MEN DROWNED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 January 1939, Page 4

TWO MEN DROWNED

SMALL BOAT CAPSIZED AT LYTTELTON.

THIRD MEMBER ’OF PARTY RESCUED. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH. January 15. Two men were drowned and another was rescued in an exhausted condition when a small sailing boat capsized in Lyttelton Harbour late yesterday afternoon.

Those drowned are:—R. F. McKenzie, married, Flat 3, College Courts, Christchurch. H. L. Reddell, single, formerly of Auckland, employed by Barlow Bros., Christchurch. L The rescued man was Arthur Vivian ; Clark, married, an insurance agent of i Flat 2, College Courts. Christchurch. According to Clark, the three men purchased a small sailing boat about 12ft 6in long about two weeks ago.

and kept it, at Buckley’s beach. They had been out in it about five times. McKenzie had had some slight experiI ence of sailing, but the others had none. 1 On Saturday afternoon, the men put out to about half-way across the harbour to fish. After half an hour the wind increased and the sea became very rough. They hoisted the small sail and attempted to make back to Buckley’s beach, but were carried down toward Windy Point. They dropped the sail and were going to row ’ back when the boat got broadside on and capsized. Clark was carried down by the mast and had some difficulty in getting free of the gear. When he came to the surface he saw McKenzie swimming for the shore. He heard Reddell call for help and swam toward him, but could

not find him. He saw Reddell’s coat floating. Clark returned to the boat and clung to it till rescued. Persons on the shore state that McKenzie was swimming strongly till he was about five yards from the rocks, when he disappeared. When the alarm was given in Lyttelton, Mr E. E. Combs, commodore of the Canterbury Yacht and Motor-boat Club, set out in his cruising launch Nautilus and was on the scene within a few minutes. Clark had just been picked up by a dinghy which had put out from Buckley’s beach and he was taken aboard the Nautilus. A search was then made for the other men without success. Later, a further search was made by Captains A. E. Chrisp and A. R. Champion, of the harbour board staff, and by a police party led by Constable C. Jackways. Late this afternoon the bodies had not been recovered.