DROWNING ACCIDENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17338, 9 December 1919, Page 8

DROWNING ACCIDENT.

A BRAVE MAN'S FATE. ASSISTING IN RESCUE. TITAHI BAY FATALITY. [BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] • WELLINGTON. Monday. As the result of a brave attempt to assist in a rescue from drowning at Titahi Bay on Saturday, Mr. Patrick Dromgool, a solicitor in the Public Trust Office, lost his life. The members of a picnic party ere swimming in the-breakers, ana two ladies got ir.to difficulties. After assisting in the rescue of one of them, Mr. Dromgool proposed to help with the other, who was being brought in with some difficulty by Constable J. Neil. The constable tried to dissuade h&m, saying his help was unnecessary, but Mr. Dromgool persisted, and was last seen by Constable Neil as the latter turned on his back, exhausted, to float. The affair was very nearly a tragedy on a large scale. There was a heavy sea with strong backwash, and several of the bathers had great difficulty in fighting their way to the shore. Two of them had a 45 minutes' struggle, and for a time the condition of several after they were brought out of the water was serious, particularly Constable Neil. The absence of a lifeline was partly responsible for the difficulty of rescue. Mr. Dromgool was about 35 years of age, and was only recently married.