AUCKLAND MAN DROWNED

Taranaki Daily News, 28 December 1929, Page 11

AUCKLAND MAN DROWNED

three swim to his rescue

CORONER COMMENDS BRAVERY.

TRAGIC ENTANGLEMENT IN NET.

By Telegraph. —Press Association. ' Auckland, Last Night.

The body of John Massey Gardiner, who was drowned on Saturday afternoon. was found floating in the Manukau harbour last evening by Mr. J. Reece. Kenneth William Fraser told the Coroner to-day that he was in company with Andrew Christie and Selwyn Lloyd at McKendrick’s Parade, Tc Parapa, on Saturday afternoon when he noticed Gardiner fishing with a net across Austin’s Bay from a flat-bottomed boat. At about 4.39 p.m. Fraser heard Gardiner call out, -Ken, Ken,” four or five times. Fraser then saw Gardiner in the water and his boat drifting up. the harbour. Gardiner appeared to be entangled in his net and the current, going out, was apparently holding him in it.

Fraser immediately stripped off his clothing and swam to assist Gardiner. Christie and Lloyd were also swimming to the scene. When Fraser swam close to Gardiner he could see plainly that the fisherman was entangled in the net, which had a belly in it. __ When Fraser was about ten or fifteen feet from Gardiner he became entangled in the net himself and struggled free witli extreme difficulty. By that time,Gardiner had disappeared but' Fraser did not actually see him sink. A verdict that Gardiner was accidentally drowned while fishing was returned by the coroner, who commented on the bravery of the three men who went to Gardiner’s assistance. He complimented Fraser, Christie and Lloyd upon the splendid endeavour to save Gardiner at great risk to themselves. They were equally brave and he trusted their conduct would be brought under the notice of the Royal Humane Society and duly recognised by that body.