Huge Wave Engulfs Father and Two Sons

Manawatu Times, Volume LV, Issue 7197, 21 April 1930, Page 7

Huge Wave Engulfs Father and Two Sons

Mother and Daughters Helpless Spectators Heroic Rescuer Fourth Victim of Tragedy Near Napier Per Press Association. NAPIER, Last Night. While standing on the beach near Tongoio on the sea side of an isolated rocky eminence about mid-day to-day, a father and his two sons were caught by a wave, washed into tho surf and drowned, and a young man who went to their assistance also lost his life. The victims of the tragedy were:— WILLIAM JAMES TRASK, aged 54, foreman at McLeod and Gardiner’s sawmill, at Puketitiri, residing in Hastings. ROBERT DONALD TRASK, son of the former victim, aged IS, employed as a plumber in Hastings. FRANCIS GORDON TRASK, another son, aged 15, employed as a car painter in Hastings. STANLEY Arthur JONES, shop assistant, aged 21, of Hastings,

Mr. and Mrs. Trask, two sons and ono daughter 'and a cousin of the family wore motoring from Hastings to Tooigoio, and in the vicinity of tue rock Trask stopped the car to show his sons the rock formation. There was a heavy sea pounding the bench at the time. Trask and tho two boys went down to tho water’s edge when a huge wave, said to be 10 feet high, caught two of the boys before they could escape around tho rock and dusked them over washing them out to sea. Trask was also knocked down, but recovered his balance and noticing his sons’ plight went out into the surf to their assistance, being caught- in tho undertow and carried out to sea.

The tragedy was witnessed by Mrs. Trask, Miss Trask and the cousin. Tho three ladies were powerless to do anything, but just at this time throe youths passed along the road on cycles ■and observing that something was wrong ran down to the bcaeh to make heroic attempts to save the three men in tho gurf which however were unavailing. Tho greatest credit for their behaviour in tho crisis attaches to these youths—John P. Johnston, aged 15, of Hastings, Arthur Garnham ,agcd 14, of Napier, and Edward Gerald Seaife, aged 14 of Napier . Ono of tho boys had a narrow escape from sharing the

fate of tho others in tho sea but managed to regain tho shore whero ho collapsed. Meantimo several cars had arrived and in ono of those was' a young man, Stanley Arthur Jones of Hastings, who with Vincent Smith of Hastings, ran into the surf to try to rescue one of the victims who was struggling hard 200 yards from the shore. Tho two other victims were drowned at this stage and their bodies could be seen at intervals floating about a quarter of a mile out to sea. Jones’ companion succeeded in regaining tho skoro but Jones was loßs fortunate and paid for Ms heroism with Lis own life, being caught in the undertow and drowned before the eyes of those on tho shore who were at this time hurriedly making ropes by ripping rugs out of the cars into strips.

Two bodies were recovered shortly after tho tragedy, and although artaliflciial respiration was immediately resorted to tho task of bringing them back to life was seen, to bo a hopeless one.

Tho other two bodies-woro recovered latsr in tho afternoon. Tho inquest was formally opened today for purposes of identification and then adjourned.