DROWNING FATALITY.

Northland Age, Volume 25, Issue 7, 11 June 1925, Page 5

DROWNING FATALITY.

A drowning fatality occurred in the Mangatete channel (Awanui harbour) on Friday last when a young native named Joseph Howell was lost. The deceased who was recently employed on the dredge at Awanui, was 19 years of age. His parents reside at Takahue. It appears that Howell, accompanied by two companions, Jack Rickitt and Jack Dudley, left Awanui on the 3rd inst on a Ashing and shooting expedition down the harbour and pitched camp on an island in the channel. On Friday afternoon the campers discovered that their boat had drifted away from the island, both the deceased and Rickett attempting to swim accross the channel for it. When about half way over deceased called out to Rickitt to hold on and when Rickitt looked back, deceased shouted “good bye” and sank. Efforts to locate him proved futile and Rickitt reached the island in an exhausted condition, to which he was assisted by Dudley. Rickitt and Dudley reached Awanui on Saturday evening and informed Constable Bisset of the tragedy. The constable organised a search party which put out in Subritzky’s launch an Sunday being accompanied by another party in Mr. H. B. Matthew’s launch. Dragging operations were commenced and the search continued all day but the body was not found. It is surmised that deceased was caught in the flood tide and carried out to sea. He was a powerful swimmer and was apparently seized with cramp. The relatives of the deceased lad will have the sympathy of friends in their bereavement. Parties continued the search during the but up to time of going to press the body had not been recovered.