DOUBLE DROWNING.

Wairarapa Age, 6 July 1936, Page 5

DOUBLE DROWNING.

FATALITIES IN LAKE ONOKE ON SATURDAY. TWO LOWER VALLEY MEN LOST. WIFE OF ONE AN EYEWITNESS OF TRAGEDY. The second double drowning fatality in the Lake Wairarapa district within three weeks occurred on Saturday afternoon when tragedy overtook a fishing party of three men and a boy who had been netting flounders in Lake Onoke. Two of the men lost their lives, while the other man and the boy were saved as the result of a rescue by a party headed by Mr. F. Brough, licensee of the Lake Ferry Hotel. The tragedy was heightened by the fact that Mrs G. W. Bicknell, wife of one of the victims, and two of her children, witnessed the accident and the rescue operations from the shore. The party, which had-been out net* ting flounders in a 13-foot flat-bottomed boat, comprised: — Geoffrey William Bicknell, aged about 35 years, a carpenter, of Featherston; drowned. Thomas Latham, aged about 60 years, farmer, of Pirinoa; drowned. Athol Charles Bicknell, aged about 40 years, farmer, Featherston; rescued. Garth Bicknell, aged 15 years, son of Mr. A. C. Bicknell; rescued. The accident occurred at about 3 p.nx. when the party was returning to the shore after netting flounders at the. far ride of- Lake Onoke. The waters of the lake were slightly choppy and, according to eyewitnesses, the men appeared to be having a heavy pull in the teeth .of a fairly stiff north-westerly wind. Mr. E. Craddock, an employee at the Lake Ferry Hotel, stated yesterday that when the boat was about 100 hundred yards from the shore one of thh men rowing seemed to miss his stroke. 4 ‘The boat then slewed broadside on," he added, “and I saw the occupants all stand up. Then in a flash the boat was swamped and overturned.” Mr. Craddock immediately called Mr. Brough and a Mr. Boyes and they launched two rowing boats and went to the rescue. When Messrs Brough and Boyes arrived on the scene, Mr. A. <?. Bicknell and his son were hanging on to the sides of the upturned boat but there was no sign of Messrs Latham and G. W. Bicknell. The two persons in the water, who were suffering severely from the cold and shock, were taken to the shore by Mr. Craddock, while Messrs Brough and Boyes searched unavailingly for the missing men. ' So promptly did the rescuers work that within five minutes of the boat capsizing they were assisting the father and son into their boat. The only traco of the two victims was their hats, which were floating near the boat. All the members of Die party were wearing heavy waders and these no doubt considerably restricted their activities in the water, which was unusually cold. The glare of the setting sun made it difficult for those on the shore to see exactly what happened after the boat overturned but Mrs F. Brough, who watched through a pair of field glasses, said she saw two persons clinging to the boat. “I saw a third man struggling violently in the water and 1 saw him omk twice and then finally disappear ©Kpre the rescue boats could reach the scene,” she said. According to Mr. Craddock, the rescuers could see four persons all clinging round the boat when they left the shore but in the few minutes it took to row the 100 yards or so two of them had disappeared. The rescue party was only just in time as the man, and particularly the boy, were almost numb with the cold and it is doubtful if they could have kept themselves afloat much long-

Within half an hour of the accident the wind died down and the waters of the lake were as calm as a mill-pond. By the time a search party could be organised, however, darkness had set in rendering further operations impossible. Arrangements were made on Saturday night for a party, in charge of Constable W. 8. Brown, of Martinborough, to make an early start yesterday morning in an effort to recover the bodies. The lake, however, was about four feet above normal and a high wind was blowing up waves three feet high. A search was made of the surrounding beaches and a Wairarapa Aero Club *plane, piloted by Mr. P. H. Wilton, of Featherston, flew over the lake but the muddy and rough waters rendered the task almost hopeless. As it was, Constable Brown and Mr. Brough narrowly escaped disaster when their boat almost capsized when crossing the channel near the outlet of the lake.

The point where the tragedy occurred was directly in front of the Lake Ferry Hotel and right in the channel leading to the outlet half a mile away. The outlet was opened a fortnight ago and it is feared that the bodies of the two victims might have been swept down the channel by the strong current and out to sea. Dragging operations, nevertheless, will be started early this Morning, while the services of an aeroplane will also probably be used in an effort to locate the bodies. It is stated that none of the party could swim. Mr. G. W. Bicknell, who had been building a house for Mr. Latham at Pirinoa, is survived by his wife and a family of three children, the youngest of whom is aged 6 months. He was a brother of Mr. A. C. Bicknell and was very well known in the Featherston district. Mr. Latham, who is survived by his wife, was one of the best known settlers of the Pirinoa district where he had resided for the past 18 years. Deep sympathy will be extended to the families in their sad bereavement and especially to Mrs Bicknell, who had a particularly trying ordeal on Saturday afternoon. This was the first fatality at Lake Onoke since the late Mr. M. Tocker, of Masterton, was drowned in almost the same spot over two years ago.