ACCIDENT AT MANGONUI.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 6907, 7 January 1884, Page 5

ACCIDENT AT MANGONUI.

I am sorry to say that Saturday, the 29th December, did not close without what might have proved a sad accident, though to no one connected with the day's sports. A young man named Frank Silva was sailing about the harbour in his boat, and just as the steamer had discharged her passengers at the wharf the boat was seen to capsize, and immediately sink with, all sail set. Frank struck boldly out for the shore, which waß a considerable distance off, but had to swim against wind and tide. The accident was observed from the stesmer, which immediately pat off to the rescue. A sailing boat also observed it and came to the rescue. In the meantime a boat from the other shore picked Fraok up. He seemed nothing the worse for his ducking, but felt the loss of his boat. It appears he had just completed the purohase of her for £11, and it is doubtful whether he will recover her again, as she went down in the channel. On the Thursday previous he and another young man had a narrow escape, having gone as far as Taipa. They were exposed to a severo storm on their way back. The night was dark, and they were upable to reach the harbour, and were obliged to run ashore in a small bay near CooperVi Beach, and leave their boat, and walk home, which they did not reach till midnight. The boat, which was a centreboard, appeared unfit to sail in, as when the squall struck her he tried to bring her up to the wind to ease his sail, but instead of coming up to the wind she went stern under, and sank out of sight in less than a minute. —[Own Correspondent, December 29.]