SAD FATALITY

Evening Post, Volume CIII, Issue 48, 27 February 1922, Page 2

SAD FATALITY

TWO MEN DROWNED

A. THIRD HAS A NARROW ESCAPE.

(»t TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.) AUCKLAND, This Day.

A drowning accident occurred at the mouth of the' Tamake River at 7!20 p.m. on Saturday. The victims, w^o were both married, were Keith Naylor Laurie, aged 30, of Ponsonby, and Charles Knox Russell, aged 31, of Morningside. The, deceased had been living at a bach, with Messrs. H. Hayr, junr. ..Albert Jerrome, and Phil. Browne. All of the party had their wives with them. ,

' The five men had been for a trip in the launch Waitri. On returning, they anchored about 70 yards from the beach. Hayr remained on the launch, as there was not enough. room' in the dingliy. The other four started.for the.,shore, one sculling .with an oar. 'About 50 yard.s from the beach" the dinghy capsized. Brown could not swim : He clung to the upturned boat. The other three struck out, Jerrome calling over his shoulder as to whether Laurie was safe. He received a reassuring answer.'This'was the last he saw of the two. deceased, who were swept towards the mouth of the river by a strong ebb tide, which also carried the and Brown to sea. The wives'of the men were on the shore. Hearing the calls for help, they gave the alarm, and dinghies soon put out to render assistance. Jerrome was caught in the current and carried to a reef. He held on until he was rescued.

Georg* Russell, brother of one of the deceased, swam to the launch, and attempted to start the engine. The latter broke down. Tho rescue boats gained midstream, but there was no trace of Laurie or Russell, though the search was continued through the night.

The dinghy to which Brown was clinging was carried into shallow water. The women waded out and secured him, allowing the boat to drift away. , Mr. Russell was a brother-in-law of Mr. Laurie. Mrs. Laurie has lost both a husband and a brother. .«