FOUR BELIEVED DROWNED
ANGLERS IN SMALL BOAT.
(Press Assn.) DUNEDIN, Oct. 24.
Four men are believed to have been drowned when their boat capsized on Lake Mahinerangi, at Waipori, on Monday. The men, who were members of a party which left Outram on Friday night to spend the week-end fishing on the lake, were: Charles Ernest Cameron, aged 40, market gardener, of Outram; James Ewen Anderson, aged 26, single, also a market gardener, of Outram; George McGregor Hendry, aged 18, a Hillside workshops apprentice, of Outram; Herbert John" Campbell, married, of Mosgiel.
The lake was very choppy when the men set out from their huts at the head of the lake at about 9 o'clock on Monday morning. They were in an 11ft flat-bottomed boat driven by an outboard motor. A fifth member of the party, George McHattie, a youth, who also resides at Outram, had intended to go with the men but changed his mind at the last minute.
An earlier report stated that three men were overdue from the fishing trip. -Manawatu Standard, 25/10/1944.
BOAT FOUND CAPSIZED
FOUR MEN BELIEVED DROWNED
Dunedin, Oct. 24.
Four men are believed to have been drowned when their boat capsized on Lake Mahinerangi at Waipori yesterday. The men, who were members of a party which left Outram on Friday night to spend the. weekend fishing on the lake, were Charles Ernest Cameron, aged 40. market gardener, Outram: James Ewen Anderson, 26, single, also a market gardener, Outram: George McGregor Hendry, 18, Hillside workshops apprentice, Outram. and Herbert John Campbell, married, Mosgiel.
The lake was very choppy when the men set out from the huts at the head of the lake at about 9 o'clock yesterday morning. They were in an 11-foot flatbottomed boat driven by an outboard motor. A fifth member of the party, George McHattie, a youth who also resides at Outram. had intended to go with the men, but changed his mind at the last minute. Shortly before lunch time he saw the boat disappear around the point. It is thought that this is the last time the men were seen. A search party later found the boat capsized.
The party was expected back at Outram last night, but when they failed to arrive, Mr McHattie, Senr., took a taxi to the huts, where he found his son still anxiously awaiting the men’s return. Mr McHattie immediately returned and notified Constable Fiddes, of Outram, who left for the scene early this morning.
Later in the day two constables left the central station in Dunedin by car with equipment for dragging. A launch had been placed at their disposal by the city corporation and it was their intention first to make a thorough search of the shoreline in the vicinity.
Judged by the amount of air under the boat when found, it is surmised that it capsized suddenly. The lake where the tragedy occurred is more than a mile wide.-P.A. -Nelson Evening Mail, 25/10/1944.
LAKE TRAGEDY
SEARCH BY POLICE AND RESIDENTS
OUTBOARD ENGINE FOUND
Members of the Police Force and local residents were engaged from an early hour yesterday morning in searching Lake Mahinerangi, Waipori, and its environs for the bodies of the four men who are believed to have been drowned when their boat capsized in the lake on Monday. At a late hour last night the bodies had not been recovered. During dragging operations yesterday the outboard engine which had been attached to the men’s boat was recovered in about 50 feet of water not far from where the boat was found on Tuesday.
The search was supervised by Constables L. Blake,- and A. A. McRae, of the Central Police Station, and E. Fiddes, of Outram. A City Corporation launch was used for patrolling the lake, and a large number of local residents. who were organised into parties, searched the shores. Apart from the outboard engine, no equipment was discovered yesterday.
The four men who are believed to have been drowned are Charles Ernest Cameron, James Ewen Anderson, and George McGregor Hendry, of Outram, and Herbert John Campbell, of Mosgiel. -Otago Daily Times, 26/10/1944.
The body of Herbert John Campbell (39), mill employee, of Mosgiel, one of the four men who were drowned when the boat they were in capsized on Lake Mahinerangi, Waipori, on October 23, was recovered this morning. This was the second body to be recovered. An inquest was opened at Outram this afternoon, and after evidence of identification had been given the proceedings were adjourned sine die. -Evening Star, 7/11/1944.
MAHINERANGI TRAGEDY
INQUEST ON VICTIMS
VERDICT OF ACCIDENTAL DROWNING
A verdict that the men concerned were accidentally drowned when their boat overturned in rough weather on Lake Mahinerangi on October 23 was returned by a jury of four at an inquest held at Outram to-day into the circumstances surrounding the deaths of Charles Ernest Cameron, James Ewen Anderson, Herbert John Campbell, and George MacGregor Hendry. The coroner was Mr A. Walker, J.P., of Outram.
William George McHattie, an apprentice electrician, stated that in company with the deceased he fished Lake Mahinerangi over the week-end of October 21. On Monday the four deceased left in a semi-flat-bottomed outboard motor boat, but as he considered the water too rough he declined to join the expedition. The weather was windy and it was raining at the time. When he last saw the men at 12.10 p.m. they were on the opposite side at Green Pa Patch, Cameron and Hendry having left the boat, but he expected the party to meet to have lunch together. The lake was choppy during the day, but he had seen it in worse condition when the boat had succeeded in crossing. The four men were all wearing thigh gum boots and had oilskin coats with them. Cameron and Campbell were wearing leather jackets, while Anderson had an Army jacket. As the four men were all of heavy build, he did not consider the boat would be safe on that day.
James Stanley Stoddard, a market gardener of Outram, stated that he saw the boat leave the shore with four men in it for the other side of the lake. At that time the lake was beginning to get choppy on the surface with a heavy wind blowing from the southwest, while it was raining fairly hard.
Allan Stanley Gathgate, a market gardener of Outram, gave evidence that he was at Cape Help when the boat passed with the four men in it. At this time the weather was rough, it was raining heavily, the surface of the lake was choppy, and one could not see very far. After the party had divided, he saw the boat between Green Patch and Coffin Point. He thought trouble would arise when the motor stopped, as the rough weather would swing the boat around before the oars could be brought out to steady it.
Arthur Thomas Graham, garage proprietor of Outram, stated that an examination of the boat's motor revealed nothing mechanically wrong. There were several factors that could have stopped the motor before the boat capsized, such as a blocked petrol pipe or jet or water in the ignition system.
NO LIQUOR TAKEN ON TRIP.
Frank Ferguson, on furlough leave from the Army and owner of a third share of the boat, testified as to Cameron's skill and care as a boatsman. When on a fishing trip the party never took intoxicating liquor with them, while Cameron was a teetotaler.
Edward Clifford Adams, a constable stationed at Mosgiel, produced a plan of the area and detailed the search made for the bodies. Cameron's body had been recovered at 11.30 a.m. on November 5, Campbell's at 5.50 a.m. on November 7, Andersons at 6.15 a.m. on November 8, and Hendry's at 6.15 a.m. the following day. From the positions of the articles and bodies recovered, it appeared that Campbell, Cameron, and Anderson had made an effort to reach the shore, while Hendry had been overcome soon after the boat capsized.
Corroborative evidence was given by Constable Arthur Allan McRae, of Dunedin, and Constable Edward William Fibbes, of Outram. -Evening Star, 27/11/1944.
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