Sad Drowning Accident

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXV, Issue 7, 14 February 1907, Page 24

Sad Drowning Accident

A '-.most distressing drowning fatality occurred at Waihola on Tuesday- afternoon,, resulting -in the death of two' boys— Ernest 'Alullaney - : and "Thomas Ourran— who were attending the CafchoHc .'Schools' picnic. It appears' that three small "boys," the" lad -Curran being one of them, were Dathing in some shallow « water close . 'inshore on the lake, when a- flat-bottomed dingey 1^ came ■ floating by. The dingey was floating bottom upwards, and the boys got" on /to. it, and amused themselves in this way for some time, unconscious of the ' fact that the dingey , was drifting into' deep water. The three boys, it • appears, eventually -realised . <tho position, and jumped' or' -slid' off- the' bottom of the • dingey, and found in . 7ft of watei\_J'he Loy Curran, who was about 12 - years of age, and who resided at Kensington, .on getting into deep water became frightened a;id lost confidence, and one of tho other boys went to his assistance, but owing to the depth of tho water and the. struggles of Curran had to let him go and swim to . I/he shore to save himself from drowning. _- ' Ernest Mullaney -(a son of Sergeant Mullaney, - of Port Chalmers),* who was bathing by the'- shore, saw the danger, and, promptly went out to the distressed boy's assistance. For this , purpose he swam out, and " succeeded in ' reaching Curran, but was unable .to bring ~ him - ashore, and both boys sank together and were drowned. Mullaney, who was a strong swimmer, was 14 -years of age, Tuesday being his birthday. When the news of the accident became known, all the available boats on the lake were immediately put in requisition, and the place where the accident oc-* curred was dragged with fishing nets and other appliances, and at about S o'clock both bodies were recovered, when it Av'as found that Curran had Wis arms firmly clasped round Mullanqy's neck. ' The sad occurrence, as was to be -naturally expected, cast a gloom over the -people present, ami Ihe deepest sympathy was- expressed on all sides for the parents and relatives of the boys drowned.— RJ. P.