BOATING TRAGEDY

Southland Times, Issue 22295, 10 April 1934, Page 4

BOATING TRAGEDY

NO TRACE OF MAORIS. SEARCH FOR BODIES. (Per United Press Association.) Wanganui, April 9. No trace has yet been found of the bodies of the two Maoris, Maketu Wereta and Harold Hakaraia, who were lost as the result of a boating mishap off the mouth of the Waitotara River some time between Thursday and Friday last. The body of Thomas Alexander McLean, the third member of the party was found at midnight on Saturday, and although clad only in a shirt, it is fairly certain that he was in the,boat at the time of the accident. His scanty attire led to the belief that he might have been engaged in the task of rescuing the other two and had swum from the shore in an attempt to do so. Residents who were well acquainted with the habits of the trio, however, state that it was the practice of McLean to put to sea clothed with little more than a shirt. Wereta leaves five children, the eldest of whom is 14, and Hakaraia one young child. The inquest into the death of McLean was conducted at Waitotara today, before the acting-Coroner, Mr William Simpson, and a jury of four. A verdict of accidental drowning was returned, there being no evidence to show how the deceased got into the water. The evidence showed that the deceased left Waitotara on Wednesday night to go fishing. The two Maoris followed about mid-day next day. The clothes of all three were found neatly placed in a rough sort of camp near the mouth of the river, in which they stored nets and other gear. There was no evidence to show how the mishap had occurred. The upturned boat found by the vessel Kapuni was the only indication that they had been out to sea.