FALL INTO HARBOUR

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 June 1939, Page 4

FALL INTO HARBOUR

PARACHUTIST DROWNED IN AUCKLAND SWEPT AWAY FROM LAND BY STRONG WIND. PROMPT RESCUE EFFORT FAILS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, June 25. A parachuting tragedy occurred at Mangere aerodrome today. When making' a descent from 2000 feet a Hamilton parachutist. Leo E. A. Hayward, aged 24, crashed into the Manukau Harbour and drowned. Speedy rescue efforts resulted in Mr Hayward being brought ashore. Resuscitation was applied immediately and continued for over an hour without avail. The tragedy occurred in the presence of several hundred onlookers. It was apparent from the moment Mr Hayward’s parachute opened that he would have difficulty in landing on the aerodrome as a strong south-west-erly wind carried him to. the east of the landing ground. Conditions were squally when Mr Hayward was taken aloft in one of the Auckland Aero Club’s machines, piloted by Squadron-Leader Allan. The machine was at an altitude of 2000 feet when Mr Hayward jumped. The parachute opened without trouble and the parachutist was swept in a north-easterly direction by a strong wind. Apparently realising the trend of the wind drift, Mr Hayward pulled hard at the parachute cords and spilled air in an effort to hasten descent and land. He continued to operate the cords till about 800 feet from the ground} Over the last stages of the descent, Mr Hayward drifted at high speed with the envelope fully open. The crash in the water was witnessed by a Mangere farmer, Mr D. Glover, who, with the assistance of Peter D. Allan and Malvon Allan, two sons of Squadron-Leader Allan, manned a dinghy and brought the parachute ashore.

Mr Glover said: “I heard the parachutist calling out, then he struck the water with a crash and disappeared immediately. We reached the spot where the parachutist disappeared. Only a small portion of the parachute was visible on the water. Grabbing that, we pulled the parachutist from the bed of the inlet, which is about 15 ft. feep. The parachutist was brought ashore unconscious, and resuscitation efforts failed.”

The tragedy was seen by the fiancee of Mr Hayward. She collapsed and had to receive medical attention.