THE FATAL BOAT ACCIDENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7772, 19 October 1886, Page 5

THE FATAL BOAT ACCIDENT.

. [BT TBLKQRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Raglan, Monday. No trace of the body of Mr. William KobertBon has yet been found. It appears that on Friday morning last Messrs. Robertson, Thomas Prior, and Richard Wilson left Waitetuna in a boat for Raglan. The survivor, Mr. R. Wilson, states that when searing Raglan, and about two miles from the wharf, they endeavoured to pot the boat about, but she missed stays, capsized, aud threw the occupants into the water. Wilson and Prior, being swimmers, struck cut for the shore, leaving Mr, Robertson clinging to the boat. Prior, after swimming some distance in company with Wilson, became exhausted, and said to his companion " Can you manage to reach the shore, for I fear I cannot?". Wilson, who is a young man and a good swimmer, succeeded in effecting a landing, but was much exhausted, and from the time that Prior spoke he saw no more of him. The water was pretty rough, as there was some little wind blowing. On landing, Wilson got on the top of the hill and waved his shirt as a signal to encourage Robertson, whom he could see still clinging to the boat to hold on to it. As soon as the townspeople became aware of the accident, a number of boats were put off to try to rescue, but on reaching the wreok nothing could be seen of Robertson, who mast have fallen off exhausted. After searching for some time the body of Prior was found floating in a little bay off Kawis Point. It was quickly drawn into the boat, but life was quite extinct, some three hours having passed since the accident occurred to the finding of the body. Every available boat has been out in search of Mr. RobertBon's body, but without success.

An inquest was held on the body of Thos. Prior, who leaves a wife and three children. The jury found that the deceased was drowned by the accidental upsetting of the boat, attaching no blame to any one, but but adding as a rider, " That inexperienced persons should avoid using a boom in such rough and squally weather." Mr. Robertson, who was settled on some three thousand acres of land on the Waitetuna, and was an old Raglan settler, leaves a wife and six children..