DEER-STALKER DROWNED

Greymouth Evening Star, 5 December 1946, Page 6

DEER-STALKER DROWNED

IKAMATUA YOUTH'S DEATH’ ■ NEAR OKURU .FATAL HUNTING TRIP A deer-stalking, expedition ended fatally yesterday afternoon when an 18-year-o!d Ikamatua youth, Patrick Joseph Prendergast, was drowned in the Turnbull river, near Okuru, in South Westland. Latest information received at Greymouth this afternoon was to the effect that the body had not been recovered. Few details concerning the fatality could be” obtained to-day owing to the telephone at Okuru being out of order, but the bare announcement was radioed last evening to the parents of the victim, Mr. and Mrs. P. J. Prendergast, of Ikamatua. Owing to the isolated nature of the area, it was not until late to-day that the police were notified of the accident, and to-morrow Sergeant Wootton will fly from Hokitika to Okuru to open an inquest. The victim of the drowning haq been in South Westland since last Christmas, when he commenced employment with the Public Works Department. Prior to that he resided at Ikamatua. and last year was secretary to the Ikamatua Rugby Club. The Turnbull river is quick flowing and is about 350 feet wide. The spot where the youth was drowned is not far from Okuru. Besides his parents, the deceased is survived by six brothers, Phillip, Richard, Rea, Brian Robert, and Trevor, and one sister, Colleen (all of Ikamatua).