ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, Issue 13, 29 December 1926, Page 5

ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

(Per Press Association) A youth named Ray Simpson was drowned at Grassy Point, on the town side of Broad Bay, Dunedin, last evening. Simpson was sailing the 12•footer Foam in company with another lad named Vic Hodge. Hodge went forward to attend to the spinnaker, leaving his companion in tho stern, and the next thing he knew was that the boat had capsized and they were m the water. They both struck out tor the shore together and’ Simpson Began to fall back. Hodge believed him to be safe, however, and struggled to safety in a state of exhaustion. In tho meantime Simpson had disappeared. The body has not been recovered. It is not known whore Simpson lived. He was employed by Mr Charles Sundstrum, dentist. David Hyndman, aged 26, single, a watersider was drowned at 3.45 p.m. yesterday in the Cobden lagoon, Greymouth, across which he was attempting to swim wearing his trousers. When nearly across he disappeared and other swimmers dived without being able to reach him. Later boats wore brought.,, the body being discovered at 8 p.m. The deceased Was known as a good swimmer and the accident is difficult to explain. While the launch Rewhiti was lying in Mansion House Bay, Kawau Island, on Sunday morning she suddenly burst into’flames. When endeavouring to check the outbreak J. M. Pine's (a member of the crew) clothes caught on fire and his arm was badly burned before he jumped overboard to save himself. He was sent to hospital and is progressing satisfactorily. There were 24 eases of benzine aboard. A party of yachtsmen scuttled the Rowhiti after half an hour’s fight. Tho launch was raised later and towed to Auckland. The body of an old man was found near the water’s edge on the Sumner beach yesterday morning. It was scantily ciad and had the appearance of having been washed ashore after a short immersion. The body has been identified as that of James Charles Hodgson, 71, married. He had been in hospital and had gone to Sumner on Monday night after discharge to recuperate. At the inquest a verdict of found drowned was returned. A Taumarunui telegram states that the body of Thomas McKenna, who was drowned in the Wanganui river on December b, was recovered a mile below the scene of the .fatality. At the inquest a verdict was returned of accidentally drowned. The railway crossing a short distance to the north of Kata station Was the scene of an accident this morning when a motor lorry, driven bv Ernest Pickford, married, a farmer, ran into the engine of the south-bound Auckland express. The lorry was badly smashed. Pickford was hurled clear and had a remarkable escape, sustaining head injuries, hut he is expected to make a good recovery,