GIRL DROWNED IN WAIKATO RIVER

Southland Times, Issue 24002, 18 December 1939, Page 6

GIRL DROWNED IN WAIKATO RIVER

ONE OF FAMILY PARTY (United Press Association) AUCKLAND, December 16. . A drowning accident, occurred at a point on the Waikato river near Puni this afternoon. The victim was Miss Dorothy Winifred Hiscock, aged 19, of Puni. Miss Hiscock was one of a family party comprising two brothers and a sister who went to the river for a swim. They all entered the water but after a while the other three got out and rested on the bank. The older sister was still swimming when the others heard a cry for help from hex younger brother. Archibald Hiscock plunged into the water,- which was very choppy and ran strongly, and struck out for his sister. The older brother, Alexander Hiscock, ran a few yards up the bank and launched a boat. Meanwhile the younger brother had reached his sister and he made an effort to bring her to the boat, which was then only a short distance away. However, his strength gave out before they could be • pulled aboard and both sank beneath the surface. , . , The brother rose to the surface alone and was hauled into the boat. The water at the point where the girl disappeared is very deep and nothing further was seen of her. EMPTY LAUNCH FOUND IN HARBOUR DROWNING ACCIDENT MAY HAVE OCCURRED (United Press Association) DUNEDIN, December 16. The discovery of an empty fishing launch on the Portobello side of the harbour early this morning leads to the belief that a drowning fatality has occurred. A man’s coat, boots and other clothing were found in the boat with letters in the pocket of the .coat identifying the owner as John Steffens Olfman, of St. Kilda, who went fishing early in the morning. The police are carrying out a search. SCHOOL BOY BADLY INJURED EXPLOSION OF PETROLEUM DRUM (United Press Association) WELLINGTON, December 16. Hector Entwistle, aged 14, a school boy of Petone, was seriously injurea as a result of an explosion of a petroleum drum this morning. His condition is serious. Some boys were assembling the drums to construct a raft when a match was struck. One drum exploded and Entwistle was severely burned on the arms, legs, neck and face, suffering serious shock. RAILWAY GANGER KILLED BY ENGINE (United Press Association) WANGANUI, December 16. Struck by the engine of the southbound mixed train at Waitotara on Saturday afternoon, Thomas Barnard, aged 51, a railway ganger of Waitotara, was killed instantaneously. Barnard was married with three children. He was engaged in clearing weeds from a loop in the station yard when the accident occurred. CHILD DROWNED IN COPPER AUCKLAND, December 16. Achild was found drowned in a copper at her home at Waharoa this jnorning. The victim was Elaine Margaret Bug, aged two years and a-hah. She was left playing with a dipper to bail out the copper and was found shortly after by her mother floating face down in the water, which was

about six inches from the top of the copper. MOTOR-CYCLE SKIDS OFF ROAD DUNEDIN, December 16. Private Samuel Dee, on leave from the Burnham military camp, went over the Portobello road into the harbour while returning on a motor-cycle from a dance early this morning. The machine skidded and finished up on the rocks. Dee suffered a fractured pelvis and was admitted to hospital.