TWO MEN DROWNED

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18924, 12 February 1927, Page 9

TWO MEN DROWNED

BOATING TRAGEDY NEAR SYDNEY. HEROIC RESCUE EFFORTS. (rBOK OUR OWN C0RBB8»0JH»1IT.) .SYDNEY, February 4. A boating tragedy involving the drowning of two men and heroic attempts at rescue by surfers occurred this week near Woy Woy, about 20 miles north of Sydney. Three men, residents of Sydney suburbs, we're spending a holiday at Woy Woy, a popular resort, and decided on Monday to go by rowing boat to a surfing beach. The boat was overturned, and after clinging to it for hours, two of the men, Edward Morris and Edward Gibbs, were drowned, the third, James Morris, being saved in remarkable circumstances.

The three men were- in the open water of Broken Bay when heavy sons, whipped up by a strong southerly, capsized thoir boat. Their plight was quickly noticed, and two launches wero sent out to help them. So great was the sea that tho occupants of the launches novcr caught a glimpse of the overturned boat, and wero themselves in danger of being capsized. Both wore forced to return. Meanwhilo tho boa* with tho three men clinging to its keol, had drifted, and a crowd of people had gathered on Ocean Beach. When it was seen that no help could be given by the launches, Horaco Green, aged 16 years, a member of tho Ocoan Beach Surf Club, donned tho lifo-bclt. The boat was then 250 yards from tho shore. Tho men on tho boat wero seen to wavo their hands, and despite the heavy seas, Green reached a point 150 yards from the' shore. He was thou forced to return to land, and another nttempt by him also failed. In the meantime the boat had drifted towards another point, whither the lifeline was taken by motor-car. A visitor from Sydney, William Egan, put on the belt, dived off the rocks, and swam towards the boat. He reached the boat about 250 yards from tho shore, and intended to make a lino fast, so that it could be pulled ashore. Before ho could carry out his purpose two of the mon, almost demented, and nearly drowned, mado a grab at him. In tho tussle, Egan's belt and costume were torn from him, and he was forced to let one man go. This man disappeared, and has not sincfe been seen.

Horace Greon, noticing Egan's plight, again plunged into the water, and gallantly swam to the boat. He recovered the belt, and swam with it to Egan. Holding tho belt, tho latter was able to return to Gibbs, who was quickly hauled ashore. Although Gibbs was alive when rescued, he was unconscious whon lifted out of the water, and resuscitation methods failed to revive him. Egan camo ashore from his gruelling work quite naked. Green, who, in the meantime, had stayed with the third man on tho upturned boat, managed, while holding him in his position, to work the boat towards the beach, and eventually reached close enough in shore for further help to be rendered. Another surfer swam out with a belt, and Morris was hauled ashore. Green shortly afterwards reached land.