SUPPOSED DROWNING FATALITY.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 192, 21 August 1901, Page 2

SUPPOSED DROWNING FATALITY.

Our To Karaka correspondent telephoned last evening that a sad drowning accident was supposed to have occurred in that district yesterday afternoon, tiro victim being a young man named W. Blain, who had been working on Mr Julius Caesar’s property at Kaitangata, fourteen miles beyond To Karaka. It appears from the meagre particulars to hand that Blain, in company with Mr Hinton, manager for Mr Cwsar, had goue out in search of some cattle. In the course of their work they tiad to go in pursuit of a heifer into the Kaitangata creek. The heifer in question managed to get away i from them, and ran down the crook. ! Young Blain went after the animal, and I was not seen again by his companion. A j few minutes after ho left his horse returned riderless. Mr Hinton went in the I direction where Blain had disappeared, I but although he spent some time in cooee- | iug and calling out ho could not get any response. At a short distance down the ' creek there is a deep hole, and it is presumed that the horse must have slipped on the papa rock, and fallen into the stream, as the animal when it returned to I-linton was wet, and had the appearance of having just come out of the water. It was about three o’clock when Blain left liinton, and the latter, after failing to get a reply from his companion, set out for assistance. A couple of men were soon obtained, and a careful search was made of the creek in the vicinity wild's Blain was last seen, but without success. The hole previously mentioned was found to be very deep, and the water was also very dirty. Two members of the party divested themselves of their clothing and went into the pool, but the water was so deep that they could not find bottom, whilst the color of the water prevented them seeing anything when they dived. The water was very cold, and the men could not remain in very long. Blain could not swim. It is thought that he might have been stunned by the horse rolling over him, and was thus unable to save himself from drowning. He was about twenty years of age, and his parents reside at Ormond. A search party loft Ormond late in the afternoon for the purpose of assisting in the search, but up to a late hour last evening no further particulars were to hand.