DEATH BY DROWNING

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 136, 5 March 1938, Page 8

DEATH BY DROWNING

Evans Bay Fatality WIFE DESCRIBES RESCUE EFFORTS The circumstances of the drowning at Evans Bay on January 3 of Jack Allan McConehie, aged 27, shop assistant, were outlined at an inquest held yesterday. The coroner, Mr. E. Gilbertson, returned a verdict of accidental drowning. Sergeant C. It. Duke, who conducted the inquest, said lie had word of the accident at 12.40 p.m. McConehie was fishing off the rocks on the north side of the Patent Slip Wharf. His wife was reading nearby. A boy named Weir came to watch McConehie fish. His hat blew off, aud McConehie, who was dressed in a bathing suit, blazer and shoes, took off his blazer and shoes aud went into the sea to get the hat. He reached it and then turned back. The wind was blowing hard from the north, almost a gale, and McConehie, a poor swimmer, found he could make no headway. He asked the boy Weir to eall to his wife 4 who was a strong swimmer. Mrs. McConehie weut to her husband’s assistance, while the boy obtained a canvas canoe from the beach. Mrs. McConehie gained a hold on her husband, but had to let go to save herself. The cries for assistance were heard by men ou the Patent Slip, who saw Mrs. McConehie in the water indicating where her husband had been drowned. She was in a very bad way and, with the boy, was sent to hospital. "With Mr. Cyril Headland aud others, witness manned the yacht Viking and weut to the scene. The sea was dragged from a dinghy for most of the afternoon without result. The sea bottom at the spot was covered with kelp and all sorts of rubbish from the Patent Slip. Dragging was carried out on subsequent days, and on January 10 Evans Bay and the greater part of the inner harbour were searched in the Viking. Every" morning up to January 27 the Kilbirnie police searched the rocks and beaches for two hours, but up to the present no trace of the body had been found. Mr. Headland had been of great assistance, said witness, not only in this case but in that of everybody lost in the bay. Wife’s Rescue Efforts. Kathleen McConehie said that about noon a boy came to where she was reading on tlie rocks and said her husband wanted her. She got up casually and had started to climb over the rocks, when she saw her husband in the water about 25 yards out from the rocks. His head appeared to be low in the water. She did not hear him call out at any time. She immediately entered the water and swam out to him. His eyes were wide open. She told him to turn on hw .back, and he appeared to turn his back toward her. He was making movements with his arms, but his feet were straight down in the water. He placed his hand on her shoulder, and she again told him to turn ou his back, but he did not speak to her.

“I then caught hold of his bathing suit at the back,” witness continued, “and tried to swim with him toward the shore. After a second or two I could see that I was making no progress at all, and I began to scream. By this time the boy had procured a canoe from the beach, and was quite close to us. I had to let go of my husband and swim to the beach. My husband seemed to go down in the water just as. I released my grip. “The sea was not very rough at the

time, but my husband way not a good swimmer. He could swim perhaps a dozen strokes. This was the first time he had been in the water this summer. He had always enjoyed good health. At times he complained of a cramp in his leg, but this way caused through participation in running events and having a strained muscle.

William Ronald Weir said that when his straw hat blew off McConehie said he would swim out for it. lie told him not to trouble, but he did not pay any attention. "When about half-way back after getting the hat. he sang out to witness to call his wife. He was calling out “Help, help.” Witness ran along to a canoe on the beach and launched it. He had padelled half-way to Mr. and Mrs. McConehie when the latter let go of her busband.