BATHING FATALITIES.

Thames Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 17528, 17 January 1929, Page 5

BATHING FATALITIES.

TWO AT WESTPORTA STEAMER’S APPRENTICE. AND MOTOR-CAR DRIVER. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WESTPORT, Jan. 17. Two bathing fatalities occurred in the Buller district yesterday. Mr Vivian Clark, a senior apprentice on the ship Trewidden, which arrived from Wellington at 1 p.m., went for a bathe in the floating basin with Mr Potter, a fellow apprentice. Mr Potter swam out to a buoy, and was returning to the shore when he passed Mr Clark. Looking round as he was near the shore he saw Clark disappearing, and swam over toward him, but saw nothing further of him. The body was recovered some 20 minutes later by officers of the steamei Kaimanawa, who arrived on the scene with a rope. The deceased was 18 years of age, and was born at Port Talbot, South Wales, where his parents reside. The other fatality occurred at Karamea, the victim being Mr Charles Hodgson, aged 20, a driver for Mr George Burrows, the mail motor contractor for the Westport-Karamea service. Mr Hodgson and Mr Ron Simpson were bathing in a lagoon at Quinlan’s Bridge when Mr Hodgson got out of his depth and was drowned. Mr Simpson also had a narrow escape. Mr A. Roadman, senr., brought him out in an exhausted state. An inquest was held last evening by the coroner, Mr Fox, concerning the death of Mr Clark, when a verdict of accidental drowning was returned.