BOATING TRAGEDY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIX, 28 January 1936, Page 4

BOATING TRAGEDY

FIVE LIVES LOST IN MANUKAU HARBOUR

THROUGH CAPSIZE OF A BOAT

A PLUCKY GIRL

IB> Telegraph—Press Association!

AUCKLAND, 27th January. Five people were drowned in a boating tragedy at Weymouth, on

the upper reaches of Alanukau Har= hour, three miles from Manurewa, this afternoon. Two children who were clinging to a 'flat-bottomed boat in which a party of seven had been crossing the channel were sav* ed by a 16. year-old girl, Mary Reece, of Weymouth, who heard their screams for help and rowed out against wind and tide. Tlie victims were:— Edwin Studd, aged 54, farmer, of Sykes Avenue, Weymouth. Mrs Vera Studd, his wife, aged 38. Alartin Day, aged 41; single, a labourer, of Browns Road, Homai, Airs Studd’s brother. William George Stewart, aged 26, married, a labourer, of Russell Road, Alanurewa, a brother-in-law of Airs Studd. He is survived by his widow and two young children. Allan Turner, aged seven, son of Air and Airs Turner, Point Chevalier.

Those who were saved were Ronald Turner, aged nine, brother of Allan Turner; Keith Pollock, aged 12, sort of Air and All’s H. Pollock, of Hunua. Swift tragedy overtook the boat, heavily laden with its seven occupants and a quantity of firewood, when it encountered a rip caused by the wind and tide. As far as is known, there were no witnesses of the fatal causize, and the two children who survived! were too dazed to give a coherent account of what had occurred.

One said that a wave suddenly overturned the boat, throwing the occupants into the water, to be swept awav by the spring tide, which was running out fast down the narrow channel. - .

An expedition to Wattle Farm, about half a mile from Sykes Avenue, where Air and Airs Studd lived, was undertaken by the seven people early in the afternoon. They were seen crossing the channel, when it was noticed that the boat appeared very heavily laden. It was the party’s •ntention to gather £ load of manuka at Wattle Farm, and a considerable quantity was found drifting near; the boat after the tragedy. Screams, carried by the south-west wind for nearly a mile, were heard bv n neip-hbour of Air and' Alx-s Studd. Airs Reece, who was in the orchard at her home about 3.20 in the afternoon. She called one of her daughters, Alary Reece, who was in the house, and Hev both ran to the beach. Fearing that the partv they had seen earlier on the way to Wattle Farm had encountered trouble on the return trip, a 16ft boat was launched bv Airs Reece and her daughter, and the girl alone commenced a battle with wind and tide to reach the smaller boat, which was drifting almost submerged in the middle of the channel. ' Two. boys could be seen clinging to the bottom of the boat. “It took me all my time .to catch up with the overturned boat, so fast was it drifting,” Alarv Reece said later. “I pulled out about half a mile. It was very rough, with a-strong wind, hut I managed to get my boat alongside theirs and .pulled the twabovs to safety.-They were , almost exhausted and sank down' ' in: the bottom of the boat. There was no sign of the others, only two hats and two paddles.” The hoys were naralysed with fright when rescued by Marv Reece. One said that he tried to hold on to his Uncle Bill (Air Stewart) but was forced to let him eo. and he sank. The hoys were brought ashore and bodies were found later, when the tide bad dropped, and the search was conifined until late at night for •;>£ remaining two.