TRAGIC STORY

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXII, Issue 12532, 18 April 1935, Page 5

TRAGIC STORY

YOUNG WIFE DROWNED' DUE TO SHOCK HUSBAND RESCUES IMO INFANT SONS, capsize' of DINGHY. (Press Association). AUCKLAND, April 17. Tho tragic circumstances of a boating accident, in the Rangitoto Chan nel on March 24, when Airs Dorothy Jane Thomson, aged 23 years, was , drowned while her husband was rescuing their twin infant sons Were related ait the inquest, which, was concluded before Mr W. R. McKean S.M., the coroner. A verdict ’ -of accidental death was returned, the coroner remarking that the deceased was a strong swimmer tho medical opinion being that death was due to shock. Evidence was. given by the husband Gcoorge irhomfdn, a; tarpenter,. of Devon port;, that, on March 23 accompanied by his wife and their twofive year old; sons Ronald and Brooklyn, he left Cheltenham Beach for Rangitoto in a 10ft din sailing dinghy which had a centre hoard, the family staying the night at their bach a.t Saltpan Bay. “We all left Rangitoto in the boat on our return to Devonport,” the witness continued,', “thene being asack m empty bottles in the vessel. I put the mainsail and jib up before wo left tbe island. There was a light northerly wind, and the tide Was low. BOAT STRIKES UNSEEN ROCK. tApproximately 50yds -from trie shore, the boat struck a rock, which Wan under water and which I did not si?e, trie ,force of the impact breaking the centre casing and male ing a large hole in the bottom. The rushed j\n. jynmccfiiaheljy. I emptied the bottles -out of the sack and jammed the sack into! the hole to try to stop the wafer filling the dinghy. My wife, and I then turned the boat for tbe shore and' tried to row back to Rangitoto. WIFE SWIMMING FOR SHORE "We had not gone IQyds when trie boat sank. I took one of trie boys, Brooklyn, and made for the. shore about 35yds away, and I saw my wife take the other hoy Ronald, and start to swim ashore. I got ashore all right with Brooklyn within a few minutes and after calling for help en tered the water again and swam towards: my wife and the other child. My wife appeared to he swimming with the boy. When 15yds away, 1 sa.w the boy waving hip, arms as if he were swimming, but 1 did not see: my wife, who apparently sank. DIVED FOR WIFE “My son was face downward in the water and unconscious when I reached him, but when I got him ashore he quickly revived after artificial respiration. I Swam out again to where my wife disappeared, amt dived several times, but I could not find her. On getting back to the rocks where I left the boys, about 20ydf> .from the mainland, Ronald' wad lying unconscious, and! I had to work on him again. Help ar * rived, but- a search for my wife in another bo a.t failed.” Dr Walter Gilmour pathologist a.t Auc-Rland Hospital, stated: that death was caused by shock, due to sudden immersion in the water.