LAUNCH MYSTERY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17188, 3 November 1923, Page 1

LAUNCH MYSTERY.

TWO MEN BELIEVED DROWNED. ACCIDENT AT MOUTH OF WAIMAKARIRI. Through the capsizing of a flat-bot-tomed boat in which they were endeavouring to cross the bar of the YVaimakariri River at Kairaki, two men named Lowthian Thompson and John Cowper, both about iorty-iive years of age, are believed to have been drowned early last evening. The men had gone out in the boat with tlie intention of saving the launch Celtic, which was drifting out to sea from the landing-place. They were unable to reach the launch and, getting into difficulties on the bar, their boat was capsized. The men were last seen swimming out towards the launch, but it was re garded as impossible for them to reach her. The river was in heavy flood at the time owing to the heavy nor’-westers of the past few days. The beach in tlie vicinity of the mouth of the river is being patrolled to-day by th© Kaiapoi police and by fishermen from the Styx, hut no signs of the bodies had been found up till noon. Earlier in the evening Thompson.

Cowper and another man named Rich J aid Cox loft Kaiapoi in the Celtic for j Kairaki. On reaching lvairaki Thompson and Cowper left the launch and proceeded to their hut. leaving Cox in the launch attending to the engine. Shortly afterwards the launch was noticed to he drifting towards tlie mouth of the river. Apparently Thompson and Cowper noticed this and went to the assistance of Cox in the flat bottomed punt. The launch drifted on to tlie bar near the Kairaki shore and Cox succeeded in getting out and wading ashore. Owing to the river being in heavy flood Thompson and Cowper had no chance of controlling the punt once it got properly into the river, and they apparently did not realise that at the time they were capsized the launch was about half a mile from the shore. The police were informed of the occurrence last evening and wireless messages were dispatched to the Mararoa and the Maori asking them to keep a iook-out for the launch. No reply was received from the Mararoa, but Captain Cameron, of the Maori, reported to the police this morning that he had sighted the launch about seven miles north of Godlcy Hoad and about two miles out from the shore. A light westerly wind was blowing at the time. There were no signs of life on the launch, but slie j appeared to be under control. * In order to ascertain definitely if the men were on board the launch. Constable Mannix. of Lyttelton, went out ■; in a launch this'mornintr shortly before { eleven o’clock. At 12.30 it was report- j od that the police launch was a mile 1 to the north-west of the other launch.