TWO YOUNG MEN DROWNED

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27636, 18 April 1955, Page 10

TWO YOUNG MEN DROWNED

BOATING ACCIDENT ON LAKE TE ANAU

THIRD OCCUPANT OF DINGHY SAFE

(New Zealand Press Association) INVERCARGILL, April 17. Two young men were drowned, one while trying to rescue the other, in a boating accident on Lake Te Anau about 3 p.m. today. They were: Stewart Matthew Smith, aged 21, only son of Mr and Mrs R. S. Smith, of Lumsden, and David Graham Henry Stewart, aged 26, only son of Mr and Mrs W. T. H. Stewart, of Lumsden. The two men and a companion were fishing in a rubber dinghy, 30 yards from the lake jetty, and in about 25 feet of water. One of the men drowned fell out of the boat, and the other victim jumped overboard to save him. The dinghy overturned, and the third member of the party—his surname is believed to be Small—swam to the shore. Three-quarters of an hour after the tragedy, Mr Smith’s body was recovered, and about 5 p.m., Mr Stewart’s body was found. A party of police left Invercargill to assist in the recovery of the bodies.

YOUTH FATALLY CRUSHED

TRACTOR LEAVES ROAD AND CAPSIZES.

(New Zealand Press Association) WANGANUI, April 17. When a tractor he was driving rolled down a bank, a youth was killed on Saturday morning. He was Ronald Tyrell Williams, aged 18, a shepherd employed on the Paparangi station, 40 miles from Wanganui.

Mr Williams was driving a tractor along the Rangitatu East road, 38 miles from Wanganui. The tractor left the road and capsized on top of the driver. He was thrown out of his seat, and the machine rolled further down the slope. Mr Williams was dead when rescuers reached him. He was a son of Mr and Mrs J. E. Williams, of Kai lavi.

FARMER KILLED BY TRACTOR

MACHINE OVERTURNS ON STEEP FACE

(New Zealand Press Association) TE KUITI, April 17. A young man was killed this morning when his light crawler tractor overturned on a steep face on his farm at Kaitangiweka, near Te Kuiti.

The victim was Robert Selwyn Aitken, a farmer. He was a married man with two children. Mr Aitken was pinned by the tractor and killed instantly.

CHILD DROWNED IN TANK

(New Ze land Press Association) WANGANUI, April 17. A child was drowned in a dipping tank on Saturday on a Maori land development settlement at Morikau, on the Wanganui river. He was:

Alan Francis Gray, aged 2J years, a son of Mr and Mrs A. Gray, of Morikau station. The child’s father applied artificial respiration for two hours. Later, when an ambulance arrived with a doctor, a resuscitator was used without success.

CAR CAPSIZES OVER BANK

DRIVER ONLY SLIGHTLY INJURED A 22-year-old car rolled over four or five times as it dropped over a 20foot bank on the road to Motunau beach on Saturdp evening. The car was very c-tton i jly damaged, but the driver ’-es only slightly injured an- 1 hi? two passengers were unharmed. The car was about two miles east of the Main North road on the way to Motunau beach about 9.30 p.m., when it skidded in loose shingle while negotiating a sharp bend on a downhill grade. It subsequently turned over four or five times as it rolled bank, ending up 20 feet below the road level and 30 feet from the road.

The driver, Mr Bruce James Kirk, of 41 Morris street, Christchurch, suffered only minor injuries, afid was able to go home after receiving treatment at the hospital. Two passengers in the car were uninjured.

MAN FOUND LYING ON ROAD

A man was found lying unconscious beside a bicycle, from wnich it is believed he had fallen, on Saturday evening. He is Patrick Dennis Vees, of 114 Burwood road. He was taken to the Christchurch Hospital and admitted at 7 p.m.

MOTOR-CYCLIST INJURED A motor-cyclist suffered injuries in a collision with a car at the corner of Aidwins road and Matlock street on Saturday evening. He is Paul Henry Beard, aged 16, of 74 Mackworth street. He was admitted to the Christchurch Hospital at 6.5 p.m.