WAIKANAE BEACH FATALITY.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 13594, 23 January 1915, Page 4

WAIKANAE BEACH FATALITY.

CORONER'S INQUEST. A coronial inquiry concerning the death of Henry McLean, of Nelson, commercial traveller, which occurred at the Waikanae beach 'on Thursday afternoon under '(distressing- circumstances, was held this morning, before Mr -Wi A. Barton, S.M. Senior Sergt.

Hutton conducted the inquest. -r William Joseph Bishop, driver, employed by the Gisborne Meat Supply Company, deposed that on Thursday afternoon last he with others were bathing oh the Waikanae beach; About 3.30 p.m. he saw two men m the water and heard one call out for help. Witness swam out and assisted Mr Gilchrist ashore. When he reached the latter, deceased was from 12 to 15 yards, further out to sea. After getting Gilchrist i ashore, witness went to deceas- ; ed'*;. assistance, but found he had disappeared. .Witness had had a considerable amount of experience at bathing 7on the ; beach and surfing On the coast, and m his opinion there was ah unusually heavy surf running on Thursday afternoon,,- There • was -a -very strong undercurrent, and it' was more dangerous than usual. At the time of the aoaident about forty other people were bathing, whilst the Life-saving Brigade were giving, an exhibition of relief drill On- the sand. Had witness not heard the cry he would not have known there was any need for help at all. To /the Coroner : Witness did not see theVtwo men. enter the water: Senior, Sergeant Hutton: Mr Gilchrist says he owes his life to the witness.

The Coroner : I noticed that. To the. Coroner,:.. Witness* had never found such a strong undercurrent as there was at the time of the accident. . John. McLean, grocer's assistant, residing at Nelson, -stated he had seen the body at the morgue,7and identified it as.^ that .of his brother, 1 Henry Bethune McLean/ who was a single man 128. years of age, and was .commercial traveller for- Griffen and Son, Nelson. The,. Coroner expressed his sympathy with .Mr McLean m his ; bereavement. John Henderson Gilchrist, commercial traveller, stated, thafe he and deceased had, been^ comrades travelling together fop a considerable .time; They- went to the beach on Thursday, afternoon to have a swim. They ;. had r- frequently been ; m te_rether on; previous visits to Gisborne. entered the water ; together. Deceased swam put -and- vt/as, AvitneßS ...thojigh^y-^unoonsciously rcarried out beyond the surf. ; Witness, was standing, m shallow, .water /■ when * deceased" called put, "Come and save me, Jack, I'm drowning." Witness went out to endeavor to do ..so, and got to within a. couple of yards of -him, when tbe sea appeared'-to carry.vhmv further out again. 7, Witness, kept him .m view and followed,, and -almost touched him. Just as witness tried to get. hold of hflri- a big breaker, caught . them ... and deceased disappeared., Witness waited to see if he would come ..up. and feeling himself •becoming exhausted, began to swim back! to the shore. , He found it necessary/ to. call for assistance, and Mr Bishop assisted: him ashore. Witness had never experienced such a backwash as there was that afternoon. Deceased and witness were 40- or 50 yards away from the other bathers.

Victor West, plumber, stated that he Avas instructor for the Gisborne Life Royal Life-saving^ Society. They AVere giviing a- demonstration at the beach on the Thursday - afternoon.- Witness had been a consistent swimmer on the Waikanae heack for -about 13 years, b&A-ing learned to swim there when he Avas five years old. There Avas an- exceptionally neavy sea running on Thursday, with a strong undertow. It was difficult at times to see- anybody^ swimming amongst the waves; After-the Life-saving squad had given.' drill-. exerolses -on' - the sand they teamed- there was an accident; and witness the belt and went out the full length of the line, and swam about for.^a quarter* of wan hour or twenty ntinutes,. but ; saw. no -sign of deceased. Witness .considered the sea was' m a highly ;dangerous , state for an ordinary swimmer.;. ■-„ . Arthur Herbert . Ross, - post office - official, stated that: yesterday 'afternoon he was ,on 'the beach .at the foot of ■ Lowe street, ..and observing a dark object m the, water, he went m and found it was the., body, of deceased, /which he brought ashore ;and handed over to Senior Sergt. Hutton 1 .

Senior' Sergeant Button gave evidence as to removing the body to. the morgue. The Coroner returned the following verdict: '"That deceased was accidentally drowned awhile ' (bathing m the sea at the .Waikanae beach on the 21st January, 1915.". •; ,^ .4: "I ''should like to suggest, as a warning., to others,", added. Mr Barton, "that notices be placed m conspicuous places in.,each bathing, shed, calling the attention /of., bathers to the,dahgei' of backwash, . and alsp v cautioning persons, about venturing out too far. ft is difficult to limit' the area where bathers may. go for tns'.?&soik that .what would be. perfectly. „ safe for one. would • be extremely dangerous, to . another. , It, seems . to '■:■ me it 7 depends upon the condition. 'of.; the sea and- state of the tide aiid a bather's capabilities as a swimmer. Then, again, what might be safe one. day might? be dangerous oh; another;, so it is almost impossible r^to lay down any ..definite rule*!, to j. bathers." w ..'.,... f 'T\ desire," concluded the' Coroner, ''to commend f Mr Bishop, for his conduct. There, can be no 1 doubt that Mr Gilchrist owes*, his life to the efforts of Mr Bishop." ;•• .'"■-.';•<'■■:"•/;•" ' „."-."