TWO LIVES LOST

Southland Times, Issue 22362, 29 June 1934, Page 6

TWO LIVES LOST

PUNT CAPSIZES IN RIVER.

ONE BODY RECOVERED.

(Per United Press Association.)

Auckland, June 28.

Two lives were lost in a drowning accident in the Omanaia River three miles from Rawene, North Auckland, this afternoon. The victims, both relief workers, were Tamati Wharerau, a Maori aged 23, single, of Waima, and Patrick Wilcocks, a threequartcr caste, aged 21, single, of Waima. The two men were members of a party of 12 Maori relief workers who were crossing the river in a punt which capsized in midstream when it was struck by a squall. The two men who were drowned had been rowing the boat. The efforts of the men when they were thrown into the water were hampered by rubber thigh boots they were wearing • and a strong downstream current. Several of them struck out for the banks of the river, each of which was about 150 yards distant. Three of them who had freed themselves of the thigh boots reached shore, but Wharerau and Wilcocks disappeared below the surface and were not seen again. The remaining seven men, some of whom had clung to the upturned punt, were rescued by another punt in which was a further party of Maori relief workers. The crossing is made regularly four times a day. It was the suddenness of the squall causing the water to become choppy that caused the accident. The body of Wilcocks was found about a quarter of a mile below the scene of the tragedy in shallow water. There was no sign of his thigh boots. The search for the other body was discontinued at dark, but will be resumed at daylight in the morning by a party of about 30.