TWO BOYS DROWNED

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 84, Issue 16, 19 January 1940, Page 6

TWO BOYS DROWNED

BANKS PENINSULA TRAGEDY DEATH IN A WHIRLPOOL BRAVE ATTEMPT AT RESCUE 1 Per P lefts Association. J CHRISTCHURCH, Jan. 18. Two boys were drowned at Okains Bay, Banks Peninsula, this afternoon. The tragedy occurred in a large hole in a tidal creek which runs into the sea on the north side of the beach and which is 10 to 12 feet deep and rockbound on the west side. The creek water forms a whirlpool and it is known to be a dangerous pool. The boys who lost their lives were: DESMOND BRUCE SPURR, aged 10, son of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Henry Spurr, of Okains Bay. PETER ROSS INGLEY MASON, aged 5, son of Mr. and Mrs. Colin Mason, of Okains Bay. A third boy, Brian Spurr, aged 7, brother of the boy drowned, was rescued from the hole by David Stanley Maclenaghan, aged 13, a Christ- | church boy staying with the Spurr family. The four boys, accompanied by a fifth small boy, went, to the beach on bicycles and their footmarks showed that they had crossed the creek. There was shallow water above the ' hole. Apparently the boys got into the hole and into difficulties. Three of the boys were in the water and Maclenaghan managed to pull out Brian Spurr and then attempted to save Desmond Spurr. He made two attempts without success and then ran along the beach to give the alarm ' to Messrs. J. H. Sproston, of Christchurch, and H. C. Mason, of Okains • Bay. The two men motored along ' the beach and dived in and rescued I Peter Mason, but it was 20 minutes « before Desmond Spurr was taken I from the water, as he was lodged 2 under a rock at the bottom of the 1 pool. There was a large number of ■ people on the beach, campers and < residents, and resuscitation was im- t mediately applied. A message was 1 also sent to Dr. W. J. Edginton, Aka- f roa, and. accompanied by Constable i C. Calbeth, Akaroa. and Constable C. < R. Haack, Little River, he reached t the beach as soon as possible. When T they arrived resuscitation was again A attempted, but after three hours all r hope was given up. ,