FATALITY AT PIPIRIKI.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXVII, Issue 10525, 11 December 1912, Page 5

FATALITY AT PIPIRIKI.

A terrible fatality ccenii’ed at Pipiriki on Monday afternoon as the result of which three lives wore lost. The affair happened so quickly that there is little to be said about it. One monent three swimmers wore splashing in the clear wafers of the Wanganui river. Almost In the twinkling of an eye, the swimmers had disappeared, &ad the horrified spectators were frantically making search for their bodies, ft appears that at about 5 o’clock on Monday afternoon, Mr Gerald H. Thomas, schoolmaster at Pipiriki, his sou Raymond, and another hqy named Arthur Cleuience, son of. tno master of the native school, were bathing in the Wanganui rives; Young Thomas 1 suddenly got into difficulty and Clemence swam ‘to his assistance. This gallantry proved fatal, for the drowning boy clutched his would-be praser vw and the pair went under* Mr Thomas who was swimming in the middle of the river, on noticing the predicament of the boys, set off towards them. The exertion, however, exhausted him, and when ft,o reached the boys they dragged him down, the three disappearing and not being seen again. The accident was witnessed by a considerable number of people, including some American tourists. Efforts to recover the bodies were immediate made, a large number of men working valiantly till late at night. The searchers were successful in ing the body of - the unfortunate lad Clemence. Work was commenced at daybreak yesterday, and some time afterwards the body of ' Mr Thomas was recovered. A 11 o’clock the searchers had the melancholy satisfaction of taking from the water the body of the little lad Thomas, An inquest was held in the afternoon, the witnesses including Dr. Natour, an American lady doctor .who is touring New Zealand. A verdict of accidental death was returned. The tragedy has caused the greatest gloom in Pipiriki-, the victims having been extremely well known. Mr Thomas was for many years a schoolmaster. Then he took up farming in the Oolyton district, where he resided for a couple of years, eventually selling hie faim and returning to the sohoolhouse. He had been stationed at Pipiriki about twelve months. Ho was a very fine man, and won the esteem of all with.whom ho came into contact. Mr Clemence has been master of tbo native school at Pipiriki fox the last five years, and his son Arthur waa very popular. The bodies axe being brought to Wanganui by steamer On Wednesday (to-day,)—Chronicle.