BODY ON BEACH.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20295, 3 May 1934, Page 4

BODY ON BEACH.

Victim of Fishing Fatality Found. Per Press Association. WANGANUI, May 2. The body of a male native, thought to be that of Maketu Wereta, aged thirty-eight, who had been missing since an upturned boat was discovered off the mouth of the Waitotara River on April 6, was found on the beach near Waverley by two voung men who were out shooting on Tuesday afternoon. The body was in an advanced state of decomposition and identification will be difficult. An inquest will be held. Wereta and two companions, Thomas Alexander M’Lean, aged thirty-five, single, and Harold Hakaraia, aged twenty, married, all of Ihupuka pa. Waitotara, went on a fishing expedition to the moujfh of the Waitotara River on April 5. The coastal vessel Kapuni on April 6 discovered their boat floating upside down four miles out at sea and later as a result of a search,on the shore, M’Lean’s body was discovered. Although an intensive search was maintained T.t the time, there was no sign of the other two until the discover- yesterday about a mile below the Waverley beach camp and some miles north of the Waitotara River and the spot where it is believed the boat capsized. An inquest was held on M’Lean, when a verdict was returned that deceased was drowned, but that there was no evidence to show how he got into the water. A search was made along the coastline to-day by a large party of Maoris acting under police guidance, but the search failed to reveal any trace of the third member of the ill-fated trio.