DOUBLE DROWNING

Northern Advocate, 26 December 1934, Page 4

DOUBLE DROWNING

BATHER IN TROUBLE RESCUER LOSES LIFE. TRAGEDY AT TUAKAU. [.Special to “Northern Advocate"} AUCKLAND, This Day. Details are to hand of a double drowning which occurred in the Waikato River at Tuakau at 2 p.m. yesterday. The victims wefe: — Mr Roy Lawrie, aged 26, married, farmer, of Bombay. Mr Rex Wallingford Bush, aged 19, shop assistant at Tuakau.

Two men, Mr A. Bell, of Tuakau, and Mr Bush went for a swim after lunch and proceeded downstream with the intention of landing on a sandspit. When Mr Bell was near the objective, he noticed that Mr Bush was in midstream and calling for help. At this stage, Mr Lawrie, who had arrived on the scene, rushed to the assistance of Mr Bush. The former, who was clad in a shirt, pair of trousers and shoes, reached the distressed bather all right, but could not manage to make any headway and released his hold. Mr Bush then disappeared, and on attempting to regain the shore, Mr Lawrie. apparently exhausted, also sank.

Both bodies were recovered

A distressing feature is that the tragedy was witnessed by Mr. Lawrie’s wife and two young children, Mr Bush’s sister, and several other persons.

Mr Lawrie was a well-known -farmer of Bombay, being the third son of Mr A. Lawrie. He was vice-president of the Bombay branch of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union and had been a prominent Rugby footballer,-playing as half-back for the Bombay \niub and as a representative for the Franklin Union on many occasions.’ He is; survived by his wife’, and an, infant son and daughter. .

Mr. Bush was a son of Mr and Mrs H. Bush, of Tuakau-, and was employed by Mr W. G. Graham, storekeeper, of Mercer.

THIRD TRAGEDY. ILL-FATED FARM WORKER FAILED TO RETURN. [Per Press Association.—Copyright.} MASTERTON, This Day. A farm worker, Mr Ronald de Laney, aged 24, single, emploj'ed bj "Mr W. Caspin, of Waehakeke, went swimming in the river on Sunday, and did not return. The body was found yesterday in a hole in the river. At a subsequent inquest a verdict of death by drowning was returned. FOURTH FATALITY. INFANT VICTIM. [Special to “Northern Advocate.”} HAMILTON, This Day. A child of one year and four months. Robert Burnell, son of Mr and Mrs Robert Burnell, of Frankton, was drowned in the Hamilton Lake on Monday afternoon. The child had been left asleep near the side of the lake by his mother, who went to the Waikato Hospital to visit her husband. The child was in the charge of three other children of the same family, the eldest of whom is six years of age. No one saw the baby enter the lake, and he was found floating in three feet of water.