MORE STORM FATALITIES

Northern Advocate, 4 February 1936, Page 4

MORE STORM FATALITIES

TWO MASTERTON YOUTHS KILLED

NECK BROKEN BY BLOW.

By Telegraph.—Special to “Advocate / MASTERTON, Monday.

Two Masterton lads lost their lives as the result of Sunday’s storm. James Wilson, aged 15, son of Mr. and Mrs. James Wilson, of Waingawa, left his home in company with five other youths on Saturday afternoon on a deer stalking expedition to Stronvar. Three members of the party, including the deceased, went into the bush on Saturday evening, but soon lost their Tyay in a thick mist which rendered visibility very difficult. The members' of the party, who had no food and were poorly clad for the ordeal, decided to spend the night in the bush. Next morning at dawn they started to follow a fence line in the hope of clearing the bush, but the heavy storm broke, further adding to the troubles of the youths. Trees Down in Their Path. The howling gale frequently brought down trees in their path. They battled on feeling rather than seeing their way. Wilson began to shown signs of weakness, and one of his friends relieved him of his rifle. The youths had gone some distance, walking about 20 yards behind one another, when they found that Wilson was missing. Shots were fired and calls were repeatedly made but without any response. Two of the youths then retraced their steps to the

spot where Wilson had been seen last.

The search, which was greatly impeded by the thick bush and the fog, proved fruitless. Thinking that Wilson had succeeded in finding a short cut back to the camp, his companions continued on, but could not get out and spent another unenviable night in the bush. Body Found. About 11 a.m. to-day the youths succeeded in making their way out to a sheep station where they secured much needed food. Then the missing lads’ friends went by motor-car to where they had struck camp on Saturday night, expecting to find Wilson there.

When they \ found that nothing had been heard of him a search party was organised, and later in the day Wilson’s body was fountl lying in some fern a short distance from where his friends had seen him last. Wilson, who was clad in a shirt and trousers, and had been wearing sand shoes, apparently had died of exposure on Sunday night. An inquest is to be held. Deceased was employed by the Oppenheimer Casing Company, Waingawa.

The Second Victim,

The second victim was Eric Wallace Groves, aged 16 years, son of Mr. and Mrs. H. G. Groves, of Tinui, who belong to a well-known Wairarbpa family. The lad was killed this afternoon when he was helping to cut a big branch off a tree which had been damaged by the gale. The branch was cut down, but it rebounded, and the end struck deceased' on the side of his head and broke his neck.

Young Groves was a pupil at the Feilding Agricultural High School and was to have left home to-day to commence his first term. On his own suggestion, however, he remained to help clear up the damage done by the storm.