TWO MEN DROWNED

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 16 January 1939, Page 4

TWO MEN DROWNED

A THIRD RESCUED BOATING TRAGEDY AT LYTTELTON [United Press Association! CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. Two men were drowned and another was rescued in an exhausted conI dition when a small sailing boat cap- | sized in the Lyttelton harbour late ! yesterday afternoon, i Those drowned were:—R. F. McKenzie, married, of Flat 3, Coli lege Courts, Christchurch. H. L. ReddelL single, formerly of Auckland, employed by Barlow Bros, | Christchurch. j The rescued man was Arthur Viv- ; ian Clark, married, insurance agent, of Flat 2, College Courts, Christchurch. According to Clark, the three men j purchased a small sailing boat about 12ft 6in long, about two weeks ago and kept it at Buckley’s Beach. They i had been out in it about five times. I McKenzie had had some slight experience of sailing, but the others had none. On Saturday afternoon the men out out about half-way across the harbour to fish. After half an hour the wind increased, and the sea became very rough. They hoisted a small sad and attempted to make back to Buckley’s Beach, but were carried down towards Windy Point. They dropped sad and were going to row back, when the boat got broadside on and capsized. Clark was carried down by the mast and had some difficulty in getting free of the gear when he came to the surface. He saw McKenzie swimming for the shore. He heard Reddell call for help and swam towards him, but could not find him. He saw Reddell’s coat floating. Clark returned to the boat and clung to it until rescued.

Persons on shore state that McKenzie was swimming strongly until he was about five yards from the rocks, when he disappeared. When the alarm was given in Lyttelton, Mr E. E. Combs, Commodore of the Canterbury Yacht and Motor Boat Club, set out in his cruising launch Nautilus, and was on the scene within a few minutes. Clark had just been picked up by a dinghy which had put out from Buckley's Beach, and he was taken aboard the Nautilus. A search was then mad* for the other men, but without success. Later, a further search was made oy Captains A. E. Chrisp and A. R. Champion, of the Harbour Board staff, and by a police party led by Constable C. Jackways. Late this afternoon the bodies had not been recovered.