WATER TOO COLD

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 51, 4 March 1929, Page 11

WATER TOO COLD

HARBOUR SWIM FAILS

An. unsuccessful attempt to swim Wellington Harbour.from Te Aro Baths to Petone was made yesterday by a young man, W. E. Francis, of Wellington. The conditions above water at the commencement of the swim appeared to be entirely favourable. There was scarcely any wind, and the water was consequently practically unruffled. The water, however, had not had a chance to warm up after Saturday's cold snap, and the temperature in the baths was 62deg., whereas on. the occasion of the Annette Kellerman Cup race it was about 70deg. Speaking to a "Post" representative to-day, Francis Baid that ;ho had considered that the water would be about the same temperature as it Was in the Strait when Miss Copplestone commenced her attempt to swim across.'

Accompanied by a rowing boat, Francis set out from the baths at 10.55 a.m. Miss H. Marks acted as pacemaker over the first three-quarters of a mile, and her place was then taken by Miss M. Nixon for a further half-mile. A young man Bet the pace for some distance further, but /when two miles had been covered Francis decided to abandon the attempt owing to the coldness of the water. He was ; feeling quite fit, but he considered that it was only a matter of whether he pulled out then or later. To complicate matters a fresh northerly had sprung up and made the surface of the water very choppy.

It was just on noon when Francis was taken from the water.