FIVE DROWNED

Evening Star, Issue 22248, 28 January 1936, Page 8

FIVE DROWNED

TRAGEDY IN MANUKAU HARBOUR HEAVILY-LADEN BOAT CAPSIZES DRAMATIC RESCUE OF TWO CHILDREN [Per United Press Association.] 'AUCKLAND, January 27. Five people were drowned in a boating tragedy at Weymouth, on the upper reaches of the Manukau Harbour, three miles from Manurewa, this afternoon. Two children who were clinging to a flat-bottomed boat in which a party of seven had been crossing the channel were saved by a 16-year-old girl, Mary Reece, of Weymouth, who heard their screams for help and rowed out against the wind and tide. The victims were : Edwin Studd, aged 54, a farmer, of Sykes avenue, Weymouth. Mrs Vera Studd, his wfe, aged 38. Martin Day, aged 41, single, a labourer, of Brown’s road, Homai; Mrs Studd’s brother. Mr William George Stewart, aged 26, married, a labourer", of Russell road, Manurewa; a brother-in-law of Mrs Studd. He is survived by his widow and two young children. Allan Turner, aged seven, a son of Mr and Mrs Turner, of Point Chevalier. Those who were saved were:— Ronald Turner, aged nine, a brother of Allan Turner. Keith Pollock, aged 12, a son of Mr and Mrs H. Pollock, of Huhua. The bodies of Mr and Mrs Studd and Mr Stewart were recovered later. The parties failed to find either Mr Day or Allan Turner, and further searches will be made in the morning. UPSET BY RIP. Swift tragedy overtook the boat, heavily laden with its seven occupants and a quantity of firewood, when it encountered a rip caused by the wind and tide. So far as is known there were no witnesses of the fatal capsize, and the two children who survived were too dazed to give a coherent account of what had occurred. On© said that a wave suddenly overturned the boat, throwing the occupants into the water to be swept away by the spring tide which was running out fast- down the narrow channel.

An expedition, to Wattle Farm, about half a mile from Sykes avenue, where Mr and Mrs Studd lived, was undertaken by the seven people early in the afternoon. They were seen crossing the channel, when it was noticed that the boat appeared to be very heavily laden. It was the party’s intention to gather a load of manuka at Wattle Farm, and a considerable quantity was found drifting near the boat after the tragedy. TERRIFIED PASSENGERS. The screams, carried by the southwest wind for nearly a mile, were heard by a neighbour of Mr and Mrs- Studd. Mrs Reece, who was in the orchard at her home about 3.30 in the afternoon. She called one of her daughters, Mary Reece, who was in the house, and they both ran to the beach fearing that the party they had seen earlier on the way to Wattle Farm had encountered trouble on the return trip. A 16ft boat was launched by Mrs Reece and her daughter, and the girl commenced to battle with the wind and tide to reach the smaller boat, which was drifting almost submerged in the middle of the channel. The two boys could be seen clinging to the bottom, of the boat. GIRL RESCUER’S FEAT. “ It took me all my time to catch up with the overturned boat, so fast was it drifting,” Mary Reece said later. “I pulled out about half a mile. It was very rough, with a strong wind, but I managed to get my boat alongside theirs and pulled the two boys to safety. They were almost exhausted, and sank down in the bottom of the boat. There was no sign of the others, only two hats and two paddles.” The boys were brought ashore and cared for by neighbours. Three of the bodies were found later when the tide had dropped, and the search was continued until late at night for the remaining two.