BOY BELIEVED DROWNED

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 70, 4 January 1950, Page 2

BOY BELIEVED DROWNED

MISSING AFTER BAPTISM IN RIVER POLICE DRAG SWIMMING HOLE (P.A.) PALMERSTON N., Jan. 3. Police are dragging a swimming hole in the Manawatu river in the Manawatu Gorge to find the ' body of a boy missing after a picnic party'. He is Robert Walker, aged 17, a son of Mr J. L. Walker, 60S Great South Road, Auckland. * The boy was one of a party from the Assemblies of God, a religious order, which went to the river for baptismal ceremonies and a picnic on Monday morning. It was not until the party had returned to the camp at the Palmerston North Intermediate School that the superintendent (Mr R. M. J. Knauf) discovered that Walker * was not in either of the two buses hired for the occasion. A search party was sent straight back to the picnic spot, where the youth’s clothes and towel were found. None of those in the picnic party could recall having seen Walker in difficulty while swimming.

MAN DROWNED AT FITZROY BEACH

SWIMMERS CAUGHT IN RIP (P.A.) NEW PLYMOUTH, Jan. 3. Caught by a strong rip off Fitzroy beach, New Plymouth, soon after 3 p.m. this afternoon, Edward Vincent Price, aged 49, of 6 Torquay Street, Abbotsford, Dunedin, was brought ,to the shore unconscious. In spite of artificial respiration arid the administration of oxygen he died. Mr Price, who was accompanied by his wife, was on a holiday visit to New Plymouth. Aided by a wind, the rip had a number of swimmers in difficulty—some out beyond the safety zone. Three of them managed to reach the shore without assistance; but another three (all women) had to be helped by members of the Fitzroy Surf Club. After this, Mr Price was seen to be in difficulties. He was reached by C. Travers, a member of the Fitzroy Surf Club, who, assisted by a second club member, F. Clow, brought him to the beach. Artificial respiration was applied for 90 minutes without result and oxygen from a cylinder brought to the beach by the New Plymouth ambulance was also administered.

At 3.45 p.m., Dr. G. Walker arrived at the scene, followed five minutes later by Dr. D. E. Brown. After an examination Dr. Walker pronounced life to be extinct. • The. Fitzroy Surf Club has been in operation since 1923 and x to-day’s drowning was the first in its area since the establishment of the club. PEDESTRIAN DIES IN HOSPITAL STRUCK BY TAXI (P.A.) PALMERSTON N., Jan. 3. Fatal injuries were suffered by a pedestrian when he was struck by a passing taxi outside the railway, station of Longburn, on the Palmerston North-Foxton highway on Monday night. He was: Angus Arnold Milne, a labourer, aged 36,' of 98 Church Street, Palmerston North. The taxi was driven by John Burr, of Main Street, Palmerston North. At the time of the accident, Milne was walking across the highway towards the railway station. He was taken to the Palmerston North Hospital, where he died at 3 a.m. MOTOR-CYCLIST COLLIDES WITH CAR

(P.A.) DARGAVILLE, Jan. 3. Two persons received leg injuries when a motor-car and a motor-cycle collided late yesterday afternoon about two miles south of Paparoa. They were a motor-cyclist, Mr H. Gibson, aged 24, of Dargaville, who suffered a fractured thigh, and Miss R. Woodsford, aged 19, of Christchurch, who received multiple leg injuries. Both were admitted to the Northern Wairoa Hospital. The driver of the car, Dr. C. 11. Garlick, of Paparoa, was unhurt. The condition of those injured is reported to be satisfactory.. The motorcycle was extensively damaged.