TWO BATHING TRAGEDIES ON WEST COAST

Horowhenua Chronicle, 17 January 1929, Page 2

TWO BATHING TRAGEDIES ON WEST COAST

NARROW ESCAPE OF THIRD YOUTH. WIiSTPORT, Last Night, o bathing fatalities occurred in the Buller district to-day. Vivian Clark senior apprentice on the s.s Trewidden which'arrived from Wellington at I p.m. to-day, wont for a bathe in the floating basin with Potter, a fellow apprentice. Potter swam out to a Buoy and was returning to shore when ho passed Clark. Looking round as he was near the shore he saw Clark disappearing and swam over towards him but saw nothing further of Clark until his body was recovircd some 20 minutes later by the officers' of the s.s Kaimanawa who arrived on the scene with a rope. Deceased was IS years of ago and u native of Port Talbot, Soutli " ales, where his parents reside. The other fatality occurred at Karamea, the victim being Charles Hodgson 20 years of age, a driver for Geo. Burrows, royal mail motor contractor for the Westport-Karamea service. Hodgson and Ron Simpson were bathing in a lagoon at Quinlan’s bridge and Hodgson got out of his depth and was drowned. Simpson also had a narrow escape. A roadman named Senior bringing him out in an exhausted state An inquest was held to-night by Coroner Fox touching the death of Clark when', a verdict of accidental drowning was returned.