BATHING FATALITY.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 50, 28 February 1916, Page 2

BATHING FATALITY.

BOY'S UNFORTUNATE DIVE. An inquest into the circumstances surrounding the death of an 18-year-old lad named Cecil Sowden was held before Mr. F. V. Frazer, S.M.. this mdrning. Deceased sustained fatal injuries, the'result of diving into two feet of water from the wharf at St. Bay. He was employed by "the Waiwai Company, and was a son of Mr. H. Sowden, Hackett Street, Ponsonby. William ; H. McLean deposed that he was bathing from "the wharf at St. Mary's Beach on Saturday, at 3.36 p.m. He asked Sowden if.it.was deep enough, to dive, and the .latter replied "ISo." Consequently, witness did. hot dive in. Shortly afterwards Sowden himself dived in. There was. a depth of about 2 feet, as the tide -was running out. Witness helped the deceased out. Sowden recovered consciousness, but did not explain why he dived in. Dr. A. W. McKcllar said that Sowden was admitted torthe hospital at-5 pirn, with the lower part of bis body and legs paralysed. The spinal cord was dislocated at the neck, causing paralysis. He died at 6.45 p-m. The Coroner's verdict was that deceased died from shock, and dislocation of the neck, the result of an accident when diving. •