THE WHANGARAE DROWNING FATALITY.

Colonist, Volume XLIX, Issue 11966, 19 June 1907, Page 2

THE WHANGARAE DROWNING FATALITY.

THE INQUEST. UEkOISM OF A NATIVE. Gonstables Fitzsimmons and Fonkin, who proceeded, to Whangarae on Monday morning in connection with the oil launch accident, which resulted in the drowning of three Maoris, returned to Nelson latt evening. Their report of the occurence is that at 32. 30a. ra. on Sunday- eleven MaorisHwhose names were published in yesterday's issue) left Whangarae in the oil launch Maata (owned by Hekenui) for the purpose of attending the Native Land Court in Nelson. When off Karaka Point, about three miles off Whangarae, and about six chains off land, Teieti Mokena (Teddy Morgan), who was in charge of the launoh, noticed a leak in the feed pipe which leads from the benzine tank to the engine, lie took a lantern, and with the assistance of Reno Karepa, was binding it with canvas, when tbe canvas broke, and he accidentally knocked the lantern over. Immediately the bottom of tbe launch, where a quantity of benzine had soaked into the boards, burst into flames. Mokena rushed out of tbe engine room, slipped, and fell overboard; then four others. Wiki Tewhetu, Apera Tewhetu,-Mohi Tewhetu and Tangi Renata, either jumped or fell overboard. Teiete Mokena was saved, by his wife, Hareata Mokena, throwing him a lifebuoy, which enabled him to get back to the launch. Apera Tewhetu and his wife,Wiki Tewhetu, appear to have swum together for some time, when the former asked his wife not to lean too heavily on him She then let go altogether, and with a few more strokes reached the rocks, but she never saw her husband again. He must have sunk as soon as she let go. Wiki Tewhetu then ran three miles along the beaob, and alarmed the village. Mohi Tewhetu (s6ven years of age) and Tangi Ronata (78 years of age) were also drowned, and up to the present the lattor's body is, the only one that has been recovered. Remi Karepa had in the meantime been lighting the flames on tbe launch. He, with great presence of^ mind, blooked the doors of the engine room with wet blankets, and built a raft with the mast, boom, oara and sail. Then, with the help oE Teiete Mokena, ho managed to paddle the launch ashore witfl one oar. The Police officers searched the rocks and beach near the scene of the accident yesterday morning, but could find no trace of the missing bodies. An inquest was held on the body of Mrs Tangi Renata yesterday before Mr William James Stuart, J.P., and a jury of Maoris and Europeans, when a verdict of accidentally drowned was returned, no blame being attachable to anyone. The jury expressed their admiration at the presence of mind and courage dia played by Rene Karepa in bis endeavors to extinguish the fire on the launch, and building a raft for the women.