YOUTH DROWNED AT LYTTELTON

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27442, 31 August 1954, Page 10

YOUTH DROWNED AT LYTTELTON

YACHT CAPSIZES OFF CHURCH BAY FOUR COMPANIONS PICKED UP EXHAUSTED A youth was drowned in Lyttelton Harbour yesterday afternoon after a small yacht had been capsized by a gust of wind. Four companions who stayed with the yacht were rescued in the last stages of exhaustion. The youth who was drowned was Daniel Fleetwood? aged 18 years, of 70 Mungavin avenue, Porirua, Wellington. Mr Fleetwood, who was a deckboy in the coastal vessel Martyn, was with the-four others in an Idle Along class yacht. The others were Clarence William Rose, aged 14, of 14 Bradford avenue, Beckenham, lan William Stanley Barnes, aged 14, of 24 Meadowville avenue, Spreydon, Arthur Dickinson, aged 41, an ableseaman in the Martyn and Trevor Kingston, aged 16, a deck-boy in the The wind capsized the yacht when it was about 200 yards off Church Bay Point. All the party clung to the overturned craft, but after about 10 minutes Mr Fleetwood said he would swim ashore and set off. When he was about 100 yards from the shore he disappeared. The tapsize was seen by Mr B. N. Bowater, a Lyttelton yachtsman, who was working on a building in Church Bay, and he set out in a dinghy. On the way to the yaqht he saw Mr Fleetwood swimming, and altered his course to pick him up. but could not reach him in time. Mr,Bowater went on to pick up the others, who were calling for assistance. He found them exhausted and took them ashore, where they were attended by Dr. Eleanor Mears, A search for Mr Fleetwood was made by a police party consisting of Sergeant T. Thomson and Constable W. Parsons, assisted by the Lyttelton Harbour Board’s pilot launch Wairangi and two dinghies, but they failed to find the body.

TWO MOTORCYCLES IN COLLISIONS

THREE PERSONS INJURED >Two motor-cycles were involved in similar collisions with cars within 20 minutes in Christchurch last evening. The riders of both motor-cycles were admitted to the Christchurch Public Hospital, and the pillion passenger on one of them was treated at the hospital and discharged. The condition of both those in hospital was later reported to be satisfactory. The rider of the motor-cycle in the first accident, which occurred about 7 p.m. at the intersection of Oxford terrace and Worcester street, was Mr George Blackburn, of 61 Ottawa road. He suffered superficial abrasions and shock, and was admitted to hospital for observation. The rider of the second motor-cycle was Mr Donald William Fraser, of 48 Golf Links road, Shirley, who suffered head'injuries. His pillion passenger, Mr William O’Neil, suffered superflcial cuts, bruises and shock, and was discharged from hospital after treatment. The collision in which they were involved was at the intersection of Gloucester street and Manchester street.

PEDESTRIAN FATALLY INJURED

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, August 30. Fatal injuries were suffered by Thomas William Proctor, aged 73, of the Ministry of Works camp, Trentham, when he was knocked down by a car in Wellington. He suffered concussion, head and internal injuries, and compound fractures to both legs. He was taken to the Wellington Public Hospital, where he died this morning.