FATAL BOAT ACCIDENT AT WELLINGTON.

Grey River Argus, Volume XIV, Issue 1717, 4 February 1874, Page 2

FATAL BOAT ACCIDENT AT WELLINGTON.

While the races were proceeding the attention of the people at Kaiwarra was attracted by the position of a small sailing craft, which! turned j outi;to be the Hind. While beating about iii' the fbight near Pipitea the yacht was qaught in a squall, which threw her on her beam ends.*t For some time shebeld on by, her keel,' and it was thought she would/ float, till the rescuing boafc^ which started from Kai-^ warra, could reach her. ''Suddenly the ~ boat ! was seen' to; disappear. f altogether, and 'the. men . were. !obSßrved, ; ].to be struggling in the water., AjwiUingcrewwas speedily- found for the Titokowaru, and she pulled off in all haste, arriving in time to save one mau named Shearer, who wa3 clinging to the mast, which"remained about two feet Out of water. From Shearer it was ascertained that the yacht had three men ; on board; one of whom, named Griffiths, sunk/after a short struggle in the water: ' M?o6rkindale, the third man, immediately struck out for the, shore, being a good swimmer, but upon observing Shearer_holdhig., on by the mast, he turned round and made for Shearer. to be swimming very strongly^ but^wHen within about twelve yards* of where 1 * Shearer was he uttered some exclamation to the effect that he wa3 no longer able to keep himself afloat^and that he was drowning. 1 He sank immediately after. A boat was put off from the Douglas and every search was maole in view of ' the 'possibility of picking vp 1 the bodies^ bot nothing was seen of i either, and the boats.p ulled away from the scene. Griffiths' "was |'a, single man, pnitheipointofrbe^ng^married, but M'Corkindaie leaves _" a__wife and five children! iwithdiit any, /kind pf; provision whatever. \ y