BATHING FATALITY AT NEWTON. Saturday morning a party of four or five young men went to the river Teign, near Buckland Point, Newton to bathe. The only one well able to swim was the Rev. G. C. Percival but having a cold he did not intend to venture into the water on that occasion. The first to enter was Mr. Tingle Holmes, aged 23, clerk at the Newton Bank. He was a learner of the art of swimming, and ventured too far out into the current, which was very strong at the time — stronger, it was said, than had been known for years. He soon lost all power over himself and cried out for help. Mr. Percival, seeing his perilous position, rushed to his assistance with his clothes on. He, however, could not breast the current, and failing to reach him hastened again to land to rid himself of his clothes, which having done he returned to the rescue. He seized the poor drowning young fellow by the hair and attempted to pull him ashore, but could not succeed, and losing his hold tried with his feet to push him but could make no headway against the current. Thomas Oliver, Frank Leese and Reginald Homes, youngest brother of Pingle, were on the bank but being unable to swim, could render no assistance whatever; the latter, however, hastened off to some men who were work nearly half-a-mile distant, but by the time they arrived Mr. Percival’s strength had failed, and he was well nigh losing his own life in attempting keep Mr. Holmes’s head above water, he having a second time seized him by the hair for the purpose. The tide, however, on this morning was so unusually high and swift that all his efforts were unavailing, and slipping from his grasp the body disappeared, and was not recovered for some hours after. The sad event caused quite a sensation in the town, the poor young fellow being full of promise and highly respected. His father for many years has been managing clerk at Messrs. Pinsent and Co, and, being well known and highly respected among a large circle of friends, much sympathy was felt for him for his sad bereavement. The inquest held the same evening, the above facts were deposed, and the jury returned a verdict of “Accidentally drowned.”
[see similar Exeter and Plymouth Gazette Daily Telegrams: Monday 15th August 1881]
Transcribed in whole or part from scanned originals: Presented with or without modified text and punctuation. For absolute accuracy refer to the original newspapers. Source: The British Newspaper Archive.
Referenced
GRO0518 Devonport: John Ball Pinsent: 1819 – 1901