SAD BOATING ACCIDENT.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 237, 20 December 1888, Page 2

SAD BOATING ACCIDENT.

DROWNING OF MR GEORGE NESBITTThere was quite a painful sensation in town on Tuesday evening when it became known that Mr George Nesbitt had lost his life by drowning. Though a man of strange disposition, George, as he was popularly known, was well liked by everybody, and there was hardly one in the place, from the youngest to the oldest, who did not know the familiar face and had a word of greeting for him. The occurrence itself was a most peculiar one, and were it not witnessed by many would be hardly conceivable as a reality. Mr Nesbitt, accompanied by three lads—Edward Featon and Claude and Gordon Morganhad gone beyond the bar fishing, in a roundbottomed boat. On going out they had been warned by several of those working on the breakwater that they were attempting a perilous venture, but they paid no heed to the warnings and got on all right until they were returning. G. Morgan was steering, and it was noticed that he headed the boat too much to the westward. Mr Bicheno and others shouted to them to keep nearer the breakwater, but the occupants of the boat only looked round and laughed. They kept right in towards the western spit, where there was of course a heavy break and soon a roller broke over the boat. Again were the occupants advised to try and get the boat in the smoother channel, and it would not then have been too late to do so, but they seemed to get so much confused that they hardly knew what they did, and before many seconds had elapsed the breakers swept over the boat, which sank and seemed to remain almost stationary, whilst those who had occupied it were floundering about in the water. From the breakwater there really appeared little danger. A breaker caught Gordon Morgan and carried him back, blinding him for a few seconds, and Mr Bicheno shouted out to Claude Morgen to look after his brother. Claude at once saw the danger and bravely rushed back to give assistance. Keeping Mr Bicheno’s advice they walked in alongthe sandspit and were quite safe. Meanwhile Nesbitt and Featon were standing close by one another, apparently in a dilemma as to whether they should try to secure the lost property or abandon it and make for the shore—ths level o! the water was barely up to their knees, but the breakers beat against their breasts. Featon was attempting to go back for the boat, and Mr Bicheno again urged them to make tor the shore and let the boat take its course for the present, Almost before anyone could apeak again, a breaker caught Nesbitt, (who had gone further into danger), and sweeping him back a short distance, he became quite bewildered, and not seeming to know what he was doing he struck outwards in the moat dangerous direction instead of towards the shallow water. He was a good swimmer, but the. position seamed to have paralysed him and in a few minutes, with a last piercing yell, he gave up the effort. Seeing the danger Messrs McGiven, Fox, and Marshall immediately jumped in from the breakwater, the former taking a life buoy with him to enable better assistance to be rendered, and a boat was soon put off from Captain Witg’s vessel, the Awaroa. Mr McGiven soon reached him and tried to get the life buoy round him, but he could only succeed in getting one of Nesbitt’s arms through and had to keep bis head above water by holding him by the beard. They remained in this awkward position until Captain Wilg's boat arrived. Nesbitt was taken on to the breakwater, with every hope of his recovery. Dr Innes was sent for and every means of restoration employed, but all without avail, and poor George has to be included in the list of those who have gone before him. Featon and the other lads got ashore safely, but the sad result of their rashness will doubtless be a lite long lesson to them.

THE INQUEST. An inquest on the body was held at the Turanganui Hotel yesterday morning, before Mr H. E. Kenny (coroner) and the following jury:—Messrs J. Finlay (foreman), R. Wake, W. E. Wyatt, W. Martin and J. G. Henderson. Dr Innes deposed that he knew the deceased, whom he had been for some time past treating, as he was suffering from chronic bronchitis. Several persons were present before he arrived to attend the deceased, and those persons had adopted the proper means to restore animation. He kept up artificial respiration and other treatment for an hour and a quarter, but no signs of life were apparent. He was of opinion that deceased died from syncope, or failing of the heart, more than from drowning. He had found a bruise on the chest, over the heart. E. Featon deposed they had gone out In the Bay shortly after two o’clock in the afternoon, but he could not remember how long they stayed out. Gordon Morgan was steering the boat on their return, and his brother was pulling. The sea was very calm when they went out, though occasionally a big wave would break. On coming into the river one wave broke just behind them, and they took some water into the boat. The next breaker swamped them. The boat went down bow first, and then turned over. At that time they were about 30 yards from the end of the breakwater. When the boat capsized, the deceased got hold of it, and Claude Morgan got on top. He (Featon) and Gordon Morgan also held on to the boat. The boat then turned half over, and they all let go. Claude and the deceased reached the land first, they having been about up tn their waist in water. Gordon at the time was swimming toward the breakwater, but his brother called him back. Nesbitt then shouted out that he wanted hie fishing lines. Witness swam up to him. Deceased caught hold of him, but soon after let go and than started in the direction of the boat, when a breaker caught him and swept him further out into deep water. Witness, with the other boys, got ashore, and heard Nesbitt shouting out. He saw deceased sink once or twice. By the Foreman: He did not think that Gordon Morgan let go the rudder when he saw the wave coming. Gordon Morgan corroborated the evidence of the last witness, and added that Nesbitt started to swim out, saying that he must have his lines.

A. McGiven, diver engaged at the harbor works, deposed that he had seen the boat capsized and four persons struggling in the water —one man (Neabitt) was apparently in distress and calling lor help. Witness immediately jumped into the sea, taking with him a life buoy. He soon reached the man, and kept him afloat till a boat came to his assistance. Nesbitt spoke when he got hold of him, but seemed to die away very suddenly and was speechless when taken on the breakwater. The life buoy line was too short and it had to be let go. The jury returned a verdict in accordance with the doctor’s evidence,