20th August 1931

Two men drown at St Ouen’s bay

Tragedy befell a group of Londoners holidaying in Jersey when one of their party – Rose Andrews – got into difficult in the water below Chateau Plaisir Hotel. The hotel, since demolished to make way for homes, had stood at the northern end of Five Mile Road.

Whether she was the first to have problems or she’d headed into the water to help her fiancée, Llewellyn Williams, depends on which paper you read, and whether you rely on initial reports or the outcome of the inquest.

Busy beach

However, between 30 and 70 holidaymakers – again, reports differ – headed down to the sand to enjoy the day and, somehow, three of them ended up in the water. As well as Rose Andrews and Llewellyn Williams, a Mr G Hepburn ran into the waves to help.

Although Llewellyn and Rose were both brought out of the water and she was revived and taken to hospital, Llewellyn Williams could not be saved. He died on the beach. But what of Mr Hepburn? Nobody had seen him enter the water, so nobody knew for sure he’d drowned but, later in the day, his body was recovered by fishermen, and he became the tragedy’s second victim.