TWO BROWNING FATALITIES

Lake County Press, Issue 2459, 2 January 1913, Page 5

TWO BROWNING FATALITIES

Heroic Attempt to Rescue. Two drowning fatalities occurred at Sumner, Christchurch, on Saturday, There was a strong north-westej blowing which apparently had the effect of making the beach daugerous,

j aud strong found themselves jin difficulties. A nutn named Goo. I Ricbard Atkinson, a resident ol | Woolston, and only about three months out from England, went to Simmer with hi.s wife uiu] three children in the morning, and about noon bo went for a swim near the pier. The tide was running out very fast, and the under tow caught him. Others went to his aid, and it is said that he told one man who got him to where he could put his fpet on the bottom, that he was all right, but as soon as he was let go he disappeared and was not seen again. About three o'clock in the afternoon when the New South Wales and other visiting swimmers were about to give a demonstration of life-saving methods near the pier at Sumner, a report was brought that a man was in grave difficulty s in the water towards the bathsend of the beach. The whole party with their apparatus set off at once. The man could be seen far out, and Solomons and Hay went towards him. When within, roughly, a hundred yards of him, he was seen to throw up his hands and disappear. Solomons dived, but could liud no sign of him, and returned to the shore. The man, whose name was Hathurst, was bathing with his wife, his son, and some friends Solomons was obviously affected seriously by the happening when a reporter saw him afterwards. It was an example, he "said, which must have been needed for many years. The space of the beach was very big, and, for their own Fakes, they should be compelled to bathe within certain limits so that in case of trouble help might be at hand. Bathursfc was drowned because of the delay occasioned by the long run down the beach, and, even, when they got to the place, the only direction they could get was " out there." Solomons says that they put up a very fine swim, and they were half a mile out before they sighted the drowning man. When roughly a hundred yards away, Solomons saw deceased's hands go up. Then he was seen no more. They dived a great many times, but could not find him. Further down the current was very strong, much stronger than towards the surface ; in fact the currents were quite unusual. In his opinion the day was a very dangerous one and swimming difficult. . Further particulars of the drowning j fatalities are to the effect that the Sydney swimmers showed great pluck in endeavoring to assist Batburst. Solomons and Hays dived a score of times, but without avail. This is the first failure to save life in similar circumstances, due probably to having received the alarm too late. Solomons has rescued nearly eighty persons in Sydney. Ernes't Charles Batburst is the name of the drowned man, who resided at St. Albans and was aged 59. At the time of the fatality, he was surfing with his wife and son, and two other men. George Richard Atkinsou, 42 years, resided at Linwood, and he was-employed by the Kaiapoi Woollen Company. A collection taken up on the beach after the fatality in aid of the widow and family resulted in over £B6 being given, and promises of further amounts were received. The bodies are still unrecovered, and the general opinion is that they have been swept out to sea.