FIVE HOURS IN WATER.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 16114, 1 May 1923, Page 3

FIVE HOURS IN WATER.

GIRL'S TERRIBLE ORDEAL.

Details of the boating fatality on Lake Waikare, involving the death by drowning ot a young man named John Brady, show that tho accident came very close lo being a double tragedy. An extraordinary feature of the occurrence was the escape of the 17-year-uid daughter of Mr. A. Skiimor after a turribio ordeal extending over a period of hours. Mr Brady was a railway fireman, aged 21 years, and had come from Taihupo to spend a short holiday with Mr Skinner at his farm on Shepherd's Island, which is separated from tho mainland by a lagoon. At 9.30 a.m. on Monday Mr Brady and Miss Skinner left the farm in a Hat-bottomed punt to go to Rangiriri for provisions. Tho surface of Uie lake was mild, but when tho boat was about a mile from the shore a, squall arose and the punt was swamped, throwing tho two occupants into the water. They managed to turn tho boat over and held on until it again sank. Mr Brady, who was a good swimmer, was seized with cramp. He called out to the girl, "Oh, Irene, I'm gone," and sank. Miss Brady was not a good swimmer, and was completely unnerved by this experience. She managed, however, to keep afloatj and drifted with tho wind for over four hours before she found herself close to tho land. Then came another ordeal in being compelled to wade through tho lagoon waist deep for about a mile before she eventually struggled to the house on tho island. Her efforts called for extreme physical endurance, and she was completely exhausted and scarcely able to walk when she reached home at 3 p.m.

From,the time the two left the bouse until the return of the girl unaccompanied a period, of 5£ hours had elapsed, about five of which the girl had been in the water.

Mr Skinner, accompanied by Messrs Haire and C'urson, were engaged in a continuous search for the body on successive days, but without success. The lake is seven miles long and five miles broad, and its average depth is from 12ft toy 14ft.