HARBOUR YACHTING FATALITY

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 87, 11 January 1928, Page 8

HARBOUR YACHTING FATALITY

CORONER’S INQUEST

Accidental death by drowning, caused through the capsize and swamping of a fourteen-foot boat off the south end of Somes Island, was the verdict returned' by Mr. J. H. Salmon, S.M., at an inquest yesterday concerning the death of David Lauder, who lost his life on the early evening of December 24. Deceased was 24 years of age, and was employed at the City Council electric light department. Frederick Richard Lightfoot, a male nurse at the Wellington Hospital, gave evidence as to identifying the body of deceased, which, he said, was in a bad state of decomposition. Deceased was born in Scotland and was a member of the Wellington Caledonian Society and the Tramway Band. Keith Robert Staff, a clerk residing at Seatoun, who was one of the party on the ill-fated cruise, and the only one of the three to .escape, said that deceased, Donald McKay, who was also drowned, and himself, left Worser Bay at about 3 p.m., the fonrteen-foot boat possessing a sail and centre board. A light southerly was blowing with a medium sea when they started. They went to Day’s Bay and then set out to cross the harbour cruising about a mile to the south of Somes Island. “We turned to go about,” said witness, “when the sail jammed, causing the boat to heel over and fill. All of us were thrown into the water and we turned the boat upside down and clung to its keel. The boat drifted in towards the island, and when about a quarter of a mile from the shore, at the request of the other two, I swam ashore lor assistance. McKay and Lauder did not tnen appear to be exhausted.” Witness went on to say that on reaching land he proceeded to the Quarantine Station off the island and informed inspector Bennett of what had taken place. In company with Air. Bennett and his ■ daughter, and several other people he returned to the south of the island. Thev could see the two still clinging to the boat, and Miss Bennett swam out to them, but before she arrived they had disapneared, it then being a few minutes before 6 o’clock. Efforts to attract the attention of the Cobar, which was passing, proved fruitless, and search parties later searched along the lieach in an effort to find the bodies. Constable Squire, of Eastbourne, told the Coroner that Lander’s bodv had been found on the beach beyond Muritnon Saturday.