TWO DROWNED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22463, 6 July 1936, Page 8

TWO DROWNED

LAKE WAIRARAPA CAPSIZE OF A BOAT FLOUNDER NETTING PARTY RESCUE OF COMPANIONS [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION*] MASTERTON", Sunday The second double drowning accident in Lake Wairarapa within three weeks occurred on Saturday afternoon, when tragedy overtook a fishing party of three men and a boy, two of whom lost their lives. The victims were: — Mr. Geoffrey William Bicknell, aged about 35 years, carpenter, of Featherston. Mr. Thomas Latham, an elderly farmer, of Pirinoa. The other two members of the party which had been netting flounders in a flat bottom boat, were Mr. Athol Charles Bicknell, of Featherston, a brother of one of the deceased, and his fifteen-year-old son, Garth. Help Arrives Promptly

The accident occurred at about 3 p.m., directly in front of the Ferry Hotel. Eye-witnesses state that the waters of the lake were slightly choppy and a fairly strong north-westerly wind was blowing. The party was having a heavy pull across the lake to the shore when one of the men appeared to miss his stroke, and the boat swamped and overturned. Within five minutes of the accident Mr. F. Brougli, licensee of the Ferry Hotel, and two other men, had rowed out to the scene of the accident and found Garth Bicknell and his father hanging on to the side of the upturned boat. There was no sign of the others, although they had only been in the water for a few minutes. Wife Witnesses Tragedy Both the rescued persons were sufferly severely from cold. The tragedy was heightened by the fact that Mrs. Geoffrey Bicknell and two of her three young children were on the beach and watched the accident with horror-stricken eves.

The waters of the lake were too rough to-day to allow of dragging operations and the bodies have not yet been recovered. As the accident occurred in a channel leading to the outlet of the lake it is feared that they may have been swept out to sea. A party in charge of Constable W. S. Brown, of Mart in borough, which searched the beaches this morning, had a fortunate escape when their boat almost capsized. The late Mr. Latham was a wellknown settler. He is survived by his wife. Mr. Bicknell is survived by his wife and three young children.