DOUBLE DROWNING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21791, 4 May 1934, Page 11

DOUBLE DROWNING

CRIES FOE HELP HEARD THOUGHT TO BE SKYLARKING WAIWERA INQUEST VERDICT . [from our own correspondent"] "WAEKWORTH, Thursday An inquest was held at Waiwera today before Mr. A. J. S. Warijj, J.P., coroner, concerning the deaths of William Ernest Roland Warren, aged 41, of Whangaparaoa, and William Norman Bilton, aged 46, of Mahurangi Heads, whose bodies were found on Orewa Beach yesterday, morning. Their capsized boat was found off Whangaparaoa on Monday. Evidence was given by several witnesses tha_t the. two men were seen at Waiwera on the afternoon of. April 24 purchasing stores, and that they left in the evening .with the intention of proceeding' to Whangaparaoa. N. Hobday stated that at about nin& o'clock on the night of April 24 he heard cries for help., He left his bed and went outside. He stood on the beach and listened for some time, but heard nothing more. Ho came to the conclusion that the cries were due to people skylarking. E. G. Lees stated that as he wa_s going out toward Whangaparaoa <yi Monday afternoon, April 30, to fish he saw a boat upside down on the end of the reef off the point, of Whangaparaoa. He considered that the boat had drifted in toward the reef through shallow water, the mast having been snapped off by contact with the bottom. The mainsail was set and a fishing 1 net and lines were tangled round the boat and the mast. The coroner returned a verdict of death by accidental drowning : on the night of April 24.