BEACH TRAGEDY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17239, 21 April 1930, Page 6

BEACH TRAGEDY

FOUR BODIES RECOVERED WOULD-BE RESCUER A VICTIM YOUTHS’ HEROIC EFFORTS (Per Press Association.) ■ NAPIER, last night. Further details are to hand concerning yesterday’s tragedy on the Petane Beach near the lone rock fronting the Tangoio lagoon, when four persons, all resident in Hastings, were drowned in the exceptionally heavy surf that was running. The victims of the tragedy were:—

Air. James Trask, 54, foreman at McLeod and Gardiner’s sawmill, Hastings. Air. Robert Donald Trask, 18, son of the former victim, employed as a plumber in Hastings. Francis Gordon Trask, 15, another son, employed as a car painter in Hastings. •

Mr. Stanley Arthur Jones, 24, shop assistant, of Hastings. Mr. and Mrs. Trask, two sons, one daughter and a cousin of the family were motoring from Hastings to Tangoio and, in the vicinity of the rock, Mr. Trask stopped the car to show his sons the rock formation. There was a heavy sea pounding on the beach at the time. Mr. Trask and the two boys went down to the water’s edge, when a wave, said to have been 16ft. high, caught his boys before they could escape around the rock and dashed them over,, washing them out to . sea. Mr. : Trask was also knocked down, but recovered his balance, and, noticing his sons’ plight, went out into the surf to their assistance, being caught in the undertow and also carried out to sea. v

The tragedy was witnessed by Mrs. Trask, Aliss Trask and the cousin. The three ladies were powerless to do any- f thing, but just at this time three youths passed along the road on bicycles, and, observing that- 'something was wrong, ran down to the beach to make heroic attempts to save the three people in the surf, which, however, were unavailing, f The greatest credit for their behavior in the crisis attaches to these youths, who were John P. Johnston, 15, of Hastings; Arthur Garnham, 14, of Napier; and Edward Gerald Seaife, 14, of Napier.

INQUEST ADJOURNED. One of the boys had a narrow escape from sharing the fate of the others in the sea, but managed to regain the shore, where he collapsed. In the meantime several cars had arrived and in one of these was a young man, Mr. Stanley Arthur Jones, of Hastings, who, with a companion, Mr. Vincent Smith, of Hastings, ran into Qie surf to try to rescue one of the victims, who was struggling hard 200 yards from the shore. The two others were drowned at this stage, and their bodies could be seen at intervals floating about a quarter of a mile out to sea.

Mr. Jones’ companion succeeded in regaining the shore, but Mr. Jones was less fortunate, and paid for his heroism with his own life, being caught in the undertow and drowned before the eyes cf those on the shore, who were, at this time, hurriedly making ropes by ripping rugs out cf cars into strips. Two of the bodiest were recovered shortly after the tragedy, and although artificial respiration was immediately resorted to, the task of brihging them back to life was seen to be a hopeless one. The other two bodies were recovered later in the afternoon.

An inquest was formally opened later and adjourned. ■*