TRAGEDY AT SUMNER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23393, 7 January 1938, Page 8

TRAGEDY AT SUMNER

BROTHER AND SISTER DROWNED WASHED AWAY IN CURRENT FRUITLESS SEARCH FOR BODIES (Pbr United Press Association) CHRISTCHURCH, Jan. 6. A boy was swept out to sea and drowned at the boat harbour, Sumner, about 3.45 p.m. to-day, and his sister, who was playing in the water near where he disappeared, has not been seen since a few minutes before the tragedy. It is feared that she also has been drowned. The names of the children are: RONALD JOSEPH THOMAS, aged 12J years. IRMA THOMAS, aged 11 years. They were members of the family of five girls and a boy of Mr Harry Leslie Thomas, gardener, of 12 Draper street, Richmond. Dragging was carried out up till 9 o'clock this evening and the beach was patrolled at midnight but the bodies have not been found. Further searches will be made early tomorrow morning.

Mr and Mrs Thomas and their family went to Sumner for the day early to-day and were picnicking under a tree beyond the lifeboat shed and slip. At the time of the tragedy Mr T homas, who is recovering from a severe illness, was asleep by a tree, and was not aware of what was occurring a few chains away. The two children, neither of whom could swim, were playing in slack water waist deep close to the training wall on the seaward side of the harbour parallel with the main beach under the surveillance of their mother. The boy, who was bouncing a rubber ball which skidded out toward the end of the wall was further out than his sister. His mother cautioned him not to go too far. He called out in reply, took another step after the ball and disappeared from his mother’s sight in the current, which at low water runs very swiftly past the end of the wall along Whitewash Head to the open sea. The mother, paralysed with fright, saw him rise twice and then disappear before she had time to call the father, who was sleeping a few yards away. The girl was at the time some six yards from the end of the wall. Although there was a number of people about, nothing appears to have been done for some moments The alarm was not given until a small child ran some 600 yards to the main beach and along it to the surf pavilion to find the beach patrol, Mr A. Simpson. The child could give only the vaguest details, and Mr Simpson ran across to the boat harbour.

Apparently some of the people on the main beach near the clock tower were aware of the tragedy, but no one seemed to think of calling the beach patrol, who was at that time fully occupied with watching the defined bathing area, a full quarter of a mile across the water from the boat harbour. When Mr Simpson arrived at the boat harbour he could get nothing coherent from the people nearby, nor, he said, did he get any help from some men who were there. So much so that it “ seemed like a hoax.” It was at this time that the gir! was first missed, a good five minutes after the boy had disappeared. Mr Simpson went to the end of the wall and dived repeatedly into the current, which was running very rapidly on the surface. Searches along the bottom brought no result, although Mr Simpson continued his efforts for some time. CRITICISM OF BYSTANDERS APPARENT LACK OF ACTION NO TRACE OF BODIES (Special ro Daily Times) CHRISTCHURCH, Jan. 0 A fiat-bottomed rowing boat manned by the owner. Mr F. R. Munro, Mr Simpson and Constable T. Kearney put out half an houi after the drowning and dragged along the cliffs with the current without result. Meanwhile, Mrs H. L. Whiteman, of Scarborough, organised parties of children and bystanders to conduct a thorough search for the girl along the beaches and on the hill The searches were continued exhaustively for some time, but no trace of her was found At 6 o’clock the searches were abandoned and Mr and Mrs Thomas and their family were driven to their home bv Mr and Mrs Whiteman.

Shortly before 8 o’clock this evening the motor lifeboat, Rescue 11. was manned and grappling was carried out over a wide area for mo”e than an hour without success. The old lifeboat was also manned and assisted in the search Dark ness prevented further search at sea. but another attempt will be made in the morning if necessary Constable Kearney also patrolled the beach at midnight without result and will do so again at daybreak.

Comment on the actions of some bathers and on the lack of action of some of the bystanders was made this afternoon after the tragedy bv Mr Simpson, the beach patrol appointed by the Sumner Life-Saving Club. There was an apparent lack of action by both men and women bystanders. When Mr Simpson arrived he could not see what had happened and even found difficulty in getting details from people standin" about. The boat harbour is well beyond the downed bathing area, which is about 300 yards long on the main beach. The current past the end of f he sea wall is at, all times fast and was particularly so to-day when there was a northerly swell The use of beach balls should be prohibited altogether. Mr Simpson said. They skidded along the water and led their owners into deep water. In southerly weather they travelled fast straight out from the' bay. He had at one time chased them for people, but had given it up after finding himself on occasions too far out for safety Something should also be done to prohibit bathing at the boat harbour. The Sumner beach was quite safe provided bathers kept within the defined area, which gave ample room.