SEVEN DROWNED.

Otago Witness, Issue 3806, 22 February 1927, Page 25

SEVEN DROWNED.

TRAGEDY ON RIVER. BOAT STRIKES TREE AND SINKS. (From Oua Ow« Correspondent.) SYDNEY, February 10. Two women and five children were drowned on Monday. when a boat struck a tree and sank in the flooded Condamine River, near Toowoomba. Queensland. Of 11 who were in the boat only four—a man and three children—escaped with their lives. The 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 the people who were drowned were:—Mrs Fred Kocho, Mrs William Kocho. Tom Kocho (aged three, son of Mrs William Kocho), Patrick Kocho (aged two. son of Mrs William Kocho). Miss Patsy O’Shea (aged Iff. a niece of Mrs William Kocliol, Edna Liddle (aged 10. daughter.of Air James Liddle), Ronald Liddle (aged 8, son of Mr James Liddle). The survivors wore:—James Liddle (aged 30), Colin Liddle (aged 3, son of James Liddle), Vernon-. Kocho (age* 1 1.2, son of Mrs W. Kocho), Evelyn Kocho (aged 19, daughter of Mrs W. Kocho). The party had been up the river, an 1 were returning down stream with tne swiftly-running current, when the boat struck a tree with great force, upset, and in a moment all the occupants were struggling in the water. Impeded as they -were with clothes, there was little chance of the unfortun te people struggling to shore through the raging torrent. By an extraordinary chance, Liddle and the other three survivors wore swept on to a tree that was partly submerged by the water, and they managed to cling to its branches. A rescue party was organised immediately the news of the disaster became known, but owing to the flooded condition of the locality serious obstacles had to be overcome. The river was flooding 15ft over the 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 TO miles down the stream. A message was carried to him with all speed, but it was realised that if the boat had to be rowed up the river against the stream there would be little hope of saving Mr Liddle and the 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. Bed to rescue the survivors from their perilous position. In the fading light of the evening he could just see them out in the stream clinging desperately to the trees. Tying a rope round his waist, he 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 Condamine police are still looking for the other six bodies.