BROTHER AND SISTER DROWNED

Northern Advocate, 7 January 1938, Page 6

BROTHER AND SISTER DROWNED

[Per Press Association.— Copy rig nt.J CHRISTCHURCH: This Cay. A - ' boy was swept out- to sea and drowned at the boat harbour at Sumner about 3.45 p.m. yesterday, and his sister, who was playing near where he disappeared has not been seen since a Jew minutes before the tragedy. It is feared that she also has been drowned. The names of the children are; Ronald Joseph Thomas, aged 12i, and Irma Thomas, aged 11. They are members of the family of five girls and a hoy of Mr Harold Leslie Thomas, gardener, of 12 Draper Street, Richmond. Dragging was carried out up to 9 o’clock last evening, and the beach was patrolled till midnight, but without result. Further searches are being made this morning. - Suddenly Disappeared. The boy was playing with a ball in the water, and was further out than his sister. His mother cautioned him not to go too far. He called out in reply, took another step after the ball, and disappeared from his mother’s sight in the current which, at low water, runs very swiftly past the end of the wall to the open sea. The girl was at that time about six yards from the end of the wall. Although there were a number of people about, nothing appears to have been dene until a small child ran from. 600 yards to the main beach to find a beach patrol, Mr A. Simpson, , , Girl Missing. When Mr Simpson arrived he could get nothing coherent from the people nearby. It was at this time that the girl was first missed, a good five minutes after the boy had disappeared. Although Mr Simpson dived repeatedly into the current, which was running very rapidly on the surface, he could not locate the bodies.

Auckland Harbour Body Identified [Per Press Association.— Copyright! AUCKLAND, This Day. The body of a young man found floating under Queen’s Wharf yesterday afternoon was identified today as that of Leslie William McMillan, of Cook Street, Palmerston North. At an inquest today, Alfred S. Trevithick, also of Palmerston North, identified the deceased as his nephew, aged 18, who was subject to epileptic fits. The'inquest has been adjourned. After finishing work on the new vehicular ferry Korea, Mr -H. Perry, of 167 Victoria Road, Devonport, was proceeding underneath the wharf in a dinghy when he discovered the body. An inquest wes opened before the District Coroner. Mr F. K. Hunt, S.M.. this morning.