TERRIBLE BOATING FATALITY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 9400, 5 January 1894, Page 5

TERRIBLE BOATING FATALITY.

Early on the afternoon of Docombor 26 a shocking boating accident happened at the Minnamurra, New South Wales, by which seven persons lost their lives. It appears that Captain Honey, of the Kiama Volunteers, with Mrs. Honey, his wife's sister, Mrs. George Wood, her husband (Mr. Wood), and three children, together with Miss Pike—embarked on a hired boat, and, getting too near the mouth of the river, were carried out seaward, where the small craft capsized in the surf, and unfortunately Captain Honey, his wife, Mr. Wood, his three children, and Miss Pike were drowned. Mrs. Wood clung to the boat and was rescued. The accidoni; was witnessed by some hundreds of people, and Mr. Seymour (banker, from Berry), Mr. Graham, and two or three other young men, plunged into the water, and tried to rescue the party, bub the assistance came too late. Mr. Wood was alive when the rescuers, reached him, but they were unable to bring him ashore. When the news reached Kiama two or three boats were despatched, but all the assistance they could render was to search for the bodies, four of which have been recovered—namely, Mr. Wood, two of his children, and Miss Pike. The evidence of Mrs. Wood, the sole survivor of the party, who was an eyewitness of the whole fatality, threw much light on the melancholy occurrence. The substance of her evidence was to the effect that they pulled the boat up the river a little w,iy, and then turned round and went towards the mouth of the river. On getting near tho mouth of the river, the boat became unmanageable, and drifted into the breakers. One oar then broke, and the breakers poured into the boat. Her Bister (Miss Pike) was washed out. Captain Honey then seized his wife, and tried to swim ashore with her in his arms. Mr. Wood tried to save their three little ones, and Mrs. Wood remained alone in the boat. Her sister (Miss Pike) shortly afterwards floated alongside the boat, and she (Mrs. Wood) tried to reach her bub could nob. She then spoke to her two or three times, asking if she were alive, and in response she waved her hands. The witness also saw on the opposite side of the boat the two little girls floating, and her husband following, but he did nob seem able bo go further, and turned towards the shore. She never saw her little boy or Mr. or Mra. Honey. The boaG then drifted out to sea, and after some time another boat, rowed by a man named Columbus and two half-castes, same and rescued her, having first picked up her two little girls and her sister, who were all apparently dead. The men then sailed about in search of the other bodies, but nob finding any they ran the boat on the beach, where she saw the dead body of hor husband, who was 38 years of age, her sister being 53.