MISSING BOY?

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 309, 30 December 1940, Page 6

MISSING BOY?

MYSTERY SOLVED.

CLOTHES ON CARRIER. How a simple act can lead to all sortu of fears and considerable work on the part of the police was brought home during the week-end when an outfit of boy's clothing was discovered on the reclamation wall at Shelly Beach. The clothes were found about* midnight, and as there was no sign of the owner the police were communicated with. . j That telephone call led to numerous others. A description of the clothing was passed from station to station, with an estimate of the boy's age—from 12 years to 14 years. Inquiries failed to bring information of a missing boy and the police were completely puzzled. Then this morning Desmond Albert Coe, a lad of 12 years, called at the Ponsonby Police Station and cleared up the "mystery." He explained that he had been at Shelly li«uli on Saturday evening and had gone for a swim in Lurran Street Bay. A motor car was parked close by and the lad said he placed his clothing on the carrier at the back of the car. He had his swim, but received a shock when, on emerging from the water, he found that thenar had gone—and his clothing with it. There was nothing for him to do but go home to 42, O'N'eill Street, Ponsonby, clad in his bathing costume, and this he did without reporting his lo.<> to the police. Had he done so he would have saved the police much worry and work. The owner of the motor car, apparently on reaching home, found the clothing on the carrier and returned to the bay, placing the apparel in the vicinity of where the car had been parked earlier. This morning when the lad was informed ifoyj a friend of the discovery of clothing he called at the Ponsonby Police Station, where he explained what had happened.