DROWNING FATALITIES.

Bush Advocate, Volume XXIII, Issue 244, 24 October 1911, Page 3

DROWNING FATALITIES.

EIGHT PERSONS DROWNED AT FOXTON. FOUR AT POHANG-AHAU. The Manawatu Daily 'limes reports that on ounuay the loiiouing prisons were cirow.ud at i'oxio.!. Agnes j-saoeiia lirove, wile ol _\ir gene Grove,, motor u -i.i_at.rii jJunk anc! J/rmgle's, and of irnn-cess-btivot, agcu u-r Rex Eugene Urove, aged o years. John Hardy Grove, aged '6 years. Fanny Robert, wile of -\ir rercy Robert, uniform and regalia manufacturer, ALain-street. Leslie Robert, aged 18. JDouglas Robert, aged 8. Florence Arnold, Z4, late of Nelson, of Messrs (J. -U. Ross and Co.'s staff. Grace O'Suilivau, aged '£6, daughter of -\lajor J. u Sullivan, director of Equipment Stores, Defence Department, Wellington. It appears that the deceased, with a number of friends, were spending the weekend at the i'oxton heads. VVhat took place on .Sunday morning is thus described by our contemporary:—

The morning broke windy, and there was a fresh in the river against which the wind raised a considerable sea. It was decided that it would be too rough for the ladies and children, but the men went i'or a cruise, and at about 11 came back and it was then decided to take the rest on board. Jir and Mrs 'Holben still considered it too rough, and remained on their verandah whence they were, with others, to witness the whole sad scene. While the launch held oil' the shore in •the tide-way with Chris Robert, eldest son of Mr and Mrs Robert, and (Jam. Turner, son of -Mr A. Turner, aboard, Mr Robert and Mr Grove proceeded to bring the women and children on board. They had a small flat bottomed dingy, belonging to Mr Langley, of ihe boarding house. It was quite | unfit to take ten people even the three chains out to the launch, as when such a load was aboard there was only a couple of inches of free board. Howover, Mr Robert sat down to the oars and proceeded to pull them out. He did not allow sufficiently for .the rush of the tide consequent on the fresh in the river which was sweepeing towards ■the. Heads. Consequently they missed the launch and were swept down with the tide and out into the rougher water, in his effort to recover Mr Robert's oar slipped in the rowlock, and those in the. boat became alarmed and excited. "What actually did occur we may never know, but the slightest movement in such a boat so loaded would be fatal. At anv rate Mr Holben says that he saw the 'boat swamp in an instant and those near Cleland's opposite where the accident occurred, also saw the occurrence and rushed to the beach.

Mr W. Young and Mr Langley were first to the rescue and were able with diffcdfcy in a fofcbottomed boat to res:i;o Mr Roberts.' Captain Monnscv and Mr Kirk also put out and picked up three bodies. -An inquest was ordered for 11 o'clock yesterday (Monday), ■ Va: nun drowned r.'t l'orringahan were:—A. -C.'ll'OsS '2o, C. A.' • Johansen 26, L, lsen 26, J. Jorsjcnsen' 23. They were taking bales of wool to tlie s.s. Fanny in a motor surf boat, when the engine stopping suddenly, the craft broached and' was swampjd.