BATHERS AT TITAHI

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 21, 26 January 1931, Page 10

BATHERS AT TITAHI

WARNINGS i DISREGARDED

PROSECUTION SUGGESTED

Although three large warning notices intimating that certain portions of tho beach are dangerous for swimming have been erected at Titahi Bay by the Makara County r ,Couneil, some bathers .have paid no heed to them.

Commenting on the subject to a "Post" representative to-day, Mr,.N. A. Ingram, secretary of the Royal Lifesaving Society, said that much stricter regulations .were required at that particular beach, as the ones in force now wer,o totally disregarded by some people. Mr. Ingram said that when, he visited the beach, yesterday sixteen people woi-e in the water, but of that number twelve were bathing in the danger zone. There was a heavy current running, and the undertow was strong. For a weak swimmer it was very dan-

gerous. ' "The warning notices are very distinct, but some people go into the water in a haphazard way, and pay no attention at all to the regulations set down by the Makara County Council," said Mr. Ingram. "It is time people realised t.hat by bathing in the restricted area they, not only risk their own'lives but endanger the lives of would-be rescuers. What we urge is that county councils should issue some sort of instruction that swimmers should bathe in. certain areas, and if they failed to observe that regulation,' then the councils should have power to prosecute them." Mr. Ingram said that a statute to that effect was in operation in New South Wales. If was probable that next session steps would be taken to promote the necessary legislation on those lines.

P ( rior to the commencement of the competition for the Otaki Shield and Otaki Cup at Titahi Bay yesterday., the president of the Wellington Head Centre of the Royal Life-saving Society (Mr. G. S. Hill) said that he also considered that the county councils should have power to prosecute persons found bathing in the danger zone. He said that his centre of the Life-saving Society would do all it could, to help any efforts made to form a^lifo-saving club at Titahi.