SAD BOATING TRAGEDY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19563, 16 February 1927, Page 15

SAD BOATING TRAGEDY.

SEVEN PERSONS DROWNED. SURVIVORS CLING TO TREE. [raoii our own correspondent.] SYDNEY. Feb. 10. Two women and five children were drowned last Monday when a boat struck a ti'ee and sank in the flooded Condamine River near Toowoomba, Queensland. Of 11 persons who were in the boat, only four —a man and three children —escaped with their lives. Tho four survivors were rescued with great difficulty after having spent four hours clinging to the branches of a tree in the middle of the river. The names of tho people who were drowned were:—-Mrs. Fred Kocho, Mrs. Kocho, Tom Kocho, aged three (son of Mrs. W. Kocho), Patrick Kocho, aged two (sou of Mrs. W. Kocho), Miss Patsy O'Shea, aged 13 (niece of Mrs. W. Kocho), Edna Little, aged 10 (daughter of Mr. James Liddle), Ronald Liddle, aged eight (son of Mi". James Liddle). The survivors were:—James Liddle, aged 30, Colin Liddle, aged three (son of James Liddle), "Vernon Kocho, aged 12 (son of Mrs. W. Kocho), Evelyn Kocho, aged 19 (daughter of Mrs. W. Kocho). The party liad beeu up the river and were returning down stream with the swiftly running current, when the boat struck a tree with great force and upset. In a moment all the occupants were struggling in the water. Impeded as they were with clothes, there was little chance of. the unfortunate people struggling to shore through the raging torrent. By an extraordinary chance, Liddle and the other three survivors were swept on to a tree that was partly submerged by the water, and they managed to cling to its branches. A rescue party was orgauised immediately the news of the disaster became known, but owing to the flooded condition of the locality, serious obstacles had to be ovei'come. Tho river was flooding 15ft. over tho bridge and spreading out over the neighbouring country. It was possible to reach the scene only by boat, and the nearest vessel belonged to a man who lived 10 miles down the stream. A message was carried to him with all speed, but it was realised that if tho boat had to be rowed up the river against the stream, there would be little' hope of saving Mr. Liddle and tho children. A tractor was secured and the boat was loaded upon it. Eventually a party of five in the boat reached Liddle and the children and rescued them in an exhausted condition, only just in time. While the boat was being secured, a gallant effort was made by Mr. V. Bell to rescue the survivors from their perilous condition. In the fading light of the evening he could just see them out in tho stream, clinging desperately to the tree. Tying a rope round his waist, ho swam out time after time in an endeavour to reach them, but each time the swirling current swept him back to the bank. So far only one of the bodies has been recovered, that of one of the children. The police are still looking for the other six bodies.