Another Double Drowning

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 157, 6 July 1936, Page 6

Another Double Drowning

Tragedy in Lake Wairarapa

TWO WELL-KNOWN RESIDENTS Per Press Association. MASTERTON, Last Night. The secoiid double drowning in Lake Wairarapa within three weeks occurred on Saturday- afternoon when tragedy overtook a fishing party of three men and a boy. The victims were: GEOFFREY WILLIAM BICKNELL, aged about 35, a carpenter, of Featberston. THOMAS LATHAM, an elderly farmer, of Pirinoa. The other two members of the party who had been netting flounders in a flat-bottom boat, w-ere Athol Charles Bicknell, of Featherstou, brother of one of the deceased, and his fiftecn-year-old son Garth. The accident occurred at about 3 p.m. in Lake Onokc directly in front of tho Lake Ferry Hotel. Eyewitnesses state that the waters of the lake were slightly choppy and a fairly strong northwesterly wind w-as blowing. The party wus pulling across the lake to the shore when one of the men appeared to miss his stroke and the boat swamped and overturned.

Within five’ minutes of the accident Mr. F. Brough, licensee of the Ferryllotel, aud two other men had rowed to the scene of the accident and found Garth Biekuelt and his father hanging on to the side of the upturned boat, but there was no sign of Geoffrey Bicknell or Latham, though they- had only been in the water for a few minutes. Both the rescued persons wero suffering severely from cold.

The tragedy was heightened by the fact that. Airs. Geoffrey Bicknell and two of her three young children were on the beach and watched the accident with horror-stricken eyes. The waters of the lake were too rough to-day to allow of dragging opers.t*ons and the bodies have not yet been recovered. As the accident occurred in the channel leading to the outlet of (he lake it is feared that the bodies might have been swept cut to sea. A party in charge of Constable W. S. Brown, of Martiuborough, which searched the beaches this morning, had a fortunate escape when their boat almost capsized. The late Mr. Latham was a wellknown settler aud is survived by his wife. Mr. Bicknell is survived by his wife and three young children.

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