Sarah
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Somerset County Herald and Taunton Courier. Saturday 23 Mar 1957
Page 7 Column 7
Body Found In River
Workman Who Fell from Boat
Hundreds of people watched from the banks and bridges of the River Parrett at Bridgwater on Friday morning when police recovered the body of Victor John BINDING, a labourer, employed on the new bridge, who had been missing since a boat capsized nearly a month ago. Aged 28, Mr. BINDING had lived with his wife and young child at 2, Old-road, North Petherton.
On Monday morning, February 25th, he was working from a boat near the bridge in Salmon Parade and was endeavouring to put a rope around a pile when the boat overturned, throwing him into the fast flowing ebb tide.
Rescue Attempt
A Canadian workmate, Mr. Peter John NEARY, jumped in fully clothed in a gallant rescue attempt, but Mr. BINDING was swept away. Although the river had since been watched, no trace of him had been seen until yesterday morning.
Just before the tide reached high water soon after 11 a.m., the body was seen floating in the river between the railway drawbridge and the Town Bridge, and the police were informed. Shortly afterwards, the tide began to ebb and carried the body back to a point near the drawbridge. There it was secured by Det.-Con. R. M. BRADLEY and P.C. John HODGE with the aid of grappling irons and a pole.
At the mortuary later the body was identified as that of Mr. BINDING.