A MAN DROWNED WHILE TRAWLING.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 11190, 3 February 1902, Page 2

A MAN DROWNED WHILE TRAWLING.

A sad drowning fatality occurred on the Waimakariri beach on Saturday evening, whereby a nan named Samuel Griffiths, residing at Hamilton street, Sydenham, the sexton of the Sjd«nbam Omeferr. lost his life. A party, consisting of Messrs D. P.. Manhire (Mayo* of Sydenham), McLennahan (foreman of the Spreydon Road Bard), and the .deceased drove down to New Brighton on Saturday afternoon in a spring tt»p; -with the intention of trawling on the teach. They proceeded along the beach in the direction of the Waimakiriri to a point about a hundred yards south of the oM wrack, and distant about four mike from the New Brighton pier. There they commenced to trawl, and it was on the second trawl that tie nnfortonate man lost his life. Mr Manhire states that JMoLennahan held the shore end of the net, and he> and the deceased the outer end, the deceased holding the pole and (Mr Manhire the. rope attached to it- They had gone out in the breaker* nntil those on the outside end of the net were -breast high in the water, and Mr ; Manhire suggested to the deceased that they had gone out fa* enough. .They.then J torned in towards the beach* working with the current in a southerly direction. One or two of the breakers were'fairly big. and it was necessary for (Mr Manhire and the deceased:to jump as each breaker reached them to prevent their being enveloped, and Mr • Mtmhire told the deceased <to etui to the pole. Just after two large breakers very close together rolled in, and lifted both off their feet. Mr Manhire again called ou* to the deceased to hold on to the pole, and finding he could not bottom", 'let; go the rope, making two or three strokes before he could, touch the 'bottom. He then turned sec how his partner •was faring, but coiijd see nothing 011* the man's hat. Recognising that something was wrong; Mr "Manhire called , oat to Itfr McLenßatan to pull in the net, tod aseurted him to' *k> «» v - At the same dm* keeping* good look out for the deceased. They were, however, unable to discover «ny trace "of him," and nevereaw him again, although^-they wad*d out in the breakers for. wme time.. ' ' " r

Mr (Manhire then dressed, and .leaving Mr McLenahan to look out for the body drove to New Brighton and telephoned to the police station. Constablei ?«dwe soon arrived oh tie scene, and Mr Manhire, sen., and. the party started to search for the body. The accident occurred at about 6.30 pTin., just as the tide was making in, and it ms expected that the body \rould be brought aehore with that tide. A constant search was kept Tip all night, and the body wee found on Sunday morning at 'about -half-past f*ev«n by Messrs McDowell and Marks on tihe beach aibout a mile and a hall north of the spot where the drowning took placeThe accident appears inexplicable. The general opinion is tJhafc the deceased must have suffered from a weak heart, and the shook of finding himrelf out of his depth proved too greet for him. Another opinion is that the deceased became en r tangled in the net,-and being held down by it was unable to save himself. , This wouW .Account for the body -not being seen immediately after the' accident occurred. ' Residents in' New Brighton wiho have had considerable experience in trawling on the beach etate that" at dead low water it is always unsafe to trawl on the beach, and particularly at the spot where the accident occurred, the beach there «t low w*ber being .effected by the Waimakiriri River, -which forms holes in the beach of'considerable depth. • It is , tmdemtood that the deceased leaves a widow and five children.

The body was taken yesterday to the Morgue, wnera *n inquest will be held.