ACCIDENTS

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21123, 26 March 1934, Page 12

ACCIDENTS

FATHER AND SON i DROWNED TRAGEDY NEAR AUCKLAND! SWEPT AWAY BY CURRENT [THE TKESS Spcclnl Sen-Ice.l j AUCKLAND, Marclif 25. j A double drowning accident occurred at Orewa Beach, at the mouth of the Orewa river, shortly before ■ three o'clock yesterday afternoon. The • victims were Robert Birt Brown, aged , 50, of Northcote, and Douglas Robert ; Brown, aged 14, his son. ■ Brown, with his wife and son, was \ spending the week-end with Mr A. Johnson, who was spending his annual < holidays from the Post and Telegraph i Department, at. Orewa. The four per-; i sons went bathing on the beach op- j posite the motor exit to the mam ■ road, the two men and the boy swim- 1 ming a fair distance out, while Mrs I Brown stayed near the shore. Mrs , Marshall and her mother, who were . on holiday, were the only other per-1 sons at the spot. Mrs Brown invited | Mrs Marshall to join her in the water, j and Mrs Marshall was preparing for j a swim when Mrs Brown suddenly j : came ashore and asked her to bring < help, as the men were drifting out I ( to sea. I j If was seen that Douglas Brown was in difficulties. Mr Johnson, who! is a strong swimmer, went to the boy - :; J assistance, but he found the current • too strong. After reaching the boy he was not able to bring him in to shore. ' Mr Brown then came to assist, and » Mr Johnson, who was exhausted, relinquished his hold on the boy. < Meanwhile Mrs Marshall obtained ' assistance from some passers-by in a 1 motor-car. who went in different di- : reetions to secure help. Mrs Marshall 1 and Mrs Brown could see the swim- : mors only occasionally owing to the breakers." They then saw Mr Johnson floating face downward in the ; breakers and by wading out into the ; water up to (heir waists they pulled \ him ashore. He was still breathing.] and Mrs Marshall went to obtain as- ■ sistance. Mr C. McGifTord. of Orewa, was one of the first to reach the scene, but although only a few minutes had elapsed Mr Brown and his son were out of sight. Another neighbour ar- : rived on horseback and rode out into; the surf. He could see no sign of the swimmers. Mr \V. Roland, also of; Orewa. applied artificial respiration; methods to Mr Johnson, who slowly; came round, and was carried to the bach he occupied. An intensive search was made for j Mr Brown and bis son. and Mr Brown's, body was found at eight o'clock this! morning a quarter of a mile away. His son's body has not been traced. Mr Brown was prominent in the \ sporting and social life of Northcote , lie was the originator of the annual I Noithcote Regatta, and a promoter of; the Northeoio-Hirkcnhcad Ku.ghv Foot- ! ball Club. OLD MAN lUIRNKI) ! TO DEATH TKAITEP IN KEDUOOM l ITlti: CRESS Special Servlcs.l i AUCKLAND. March 25. j Trapped by (lames in the house in j which he lived the life of a recluse j for more than a quarter of a century, | William Mellugh, aged (il, a single! man. was burned to death early on | Saturday morning Mellugh lived j in Church street. Unchunga. A win- | i|ow in his bedroom. by which he might have escaped, had been boarded j up, Mellugh having covered it with I planks, and left an opening just large! enough for sparrows and starlings to; get. m and out. since he apparently I encouraged birds to make a home of | his bedroom. The firemen who sup- j pressed the outbreak found the remains j of a number of birds' nests in the up- | stairs roonv:. j Mellugh lived alone, sleeping ui a front room upstairs. The lire apparently started at the foot of the ttntrway, the (lames rapidly eating their way up the staircase. Three rooms of the house were completely gutted and a fourth room was also damaged, so that the house, although a good save was made by the brigade, "will have to be pulled down. Mi-Hugh's body was found lying on J the iloor of the front upstairs bed- ! room near the window. It was tin- I clothed, whatever wearing apparel Urn ! man had had e-n basing been burned ' At tli,. inquest, which was adjourned.! 'neighbours said there was neither gas i nor electricity in MeHuglfs home.; land that he always used candles. It' | was his custom to read a great rEaiiin bed. ' " | i " i TRUCK (RASHES INTO! i LORRY i ! | CHILD KII.I.LD AM) MOTHER j | iN.iriJKn ' I | PALMF.nSTON NORTH, March 2a. > ' A serious motor accident occurred ! on the Levm-Foxton road late on Sat-j ui-day night, when a light truck, driven | by Bryan Lverloti. of Levin, with Mr* Tira Graham, aged 25, Miss Polly Kerehonia. aged 2."), and the Graham babv aged 10 months, as passengers, cradled into a lorry which had broken down on the roadside. Mrs Graham was sent to hospital .suffering from serious head arm, and leg injuries. Miss Kere- | honia's injuries were not serious but I the baby died of a broken back on I the way to the hospital. ; The side of the truck was torn out iby the impact. The lorry was owned | by G. M. Doggett, of Dannevirke. I j FALL FROM TELECRAPH POLK i Alexander F.nngans. a married man | residing at Dariield, who is in the j employ of (lie Malvern Power Board, | suffered injuries to his hip and back i when he fell fro,n a telegraph pole jal Dariield tm Saturday morning. He ; was examined by Dr. C. K. Reid. of j Dariield. and was afterwards removed Mo the Cliristcluirch Public Hospital bv j the St. John Free Ambulance. j Bringans was replacing fuses, and I was wearing a safely belt, which became undone. When he strained against it he received no support, and fell to the ground. | | CYCLIST INJURED ; While they were cycling along the | North road yesterday morning on their way to a cycling club's picnic at waikuku. four riders—F. Bradburv R B. Blnkewny. A V. Hlakewriy. and G. Rowlands were pacing behind a milk van to be sheltered irom the northerly wind. Soon afier passing through Northcote. the van pulled up sudderdv and the two Blakeways and Bradburv i'ode into it. Bradbury received a cut m (he back of the head. Although he was dared he continued on to'Av.bkuku, but later he felt ill and wa= taken to the Chrislchurch Public Hospital by the St. Jf>hn Free Ambulance