BOY DROWNED WHEN BOAT CAPSIZES

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 287, 31 August 1935, Page 10

BOY DROWNED WHEN BOAT CAPSIZES

Tragedy at Evans Bay

TWO OTHER BOYS REACH SHORE EXHAUSTED

Although his two friends were saved, George McKay, aged 8 years and 11 months, who lived at 40 Buckingham Street, ’ Lyall Bay, was drowned at Evans Bay at about 9.30 yesterday morning when a flat-bottomed rowboat capsized in a rough sea. The other two boys, Arthur Morrison, aged 13, who is McKay’s stepbrother, and Ernest Paulin, aged 12, who lives at 12 Lerwick Terrace, managed to reach the shore in an exhausted condition. Morrison, who was rescued by Mr. R. R Hull, tlie well-known Poneke footballer, was taken to hospital, but Paulin was able to go home., McKay’s body was later discovered in about 15 feet of water, and was secured by Sergeant C. Duke, of the Kilbirnie police, with a grappling iron. The tragedy was due to the boat being caught in rough sea while the boys were a considerable distance from the shore. The waves capsized the boat, and the boys were unable to reach the shore, being partly handicapped by their heavy clothing. Morrison stated that when the boat capsized he tried to help his stepbrother on the upturned hull. Leaving him clinging to the boat, he tried to swim to the shore, and was exhausted when a man entered the water and saved him. McKay had evidently lost his grip and slipped into the sea. Morrison’s plight was seen by Mr. Hull, who was passing in a motorlorry. Paulin had already been assisted out of the water. Without waiting to remove his clothes. Mr. Hull went to Morrison’s assistance. On being told that McKay was still in the water Mr. Hull immediately stripped and re-entered the sea, but was unable to find any trace of the boy. At the same time, three men in a dinghy, using boards as paddles, went to McKay’s assistance, but before they were able to reach him he threw up his bands and disappeared.