SWIMMING BATHS FATALITY.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 17986, 1 February 1924, Page 7

SWIMMING BATHS FATALITY.

rescue appliances

MISSING.

CORONER'S RIDER AT THE

INQUEST.

Wilfred King, aged ; 13 years, took i» >atal dive while bathing in the Woolston swimming baths on Wednesday afternoon and was "drowned before assistance could be King and- a companion Lewis itoore, aged 14 vears, "went for a bathe at about 4.30 p.m., and were given tho key by tho caretaker's wife. King dived into tho deepest port of tho baThs, and his mate noticed lie was in difficulties and ran for help, but it caine too late. No life-saving appliances were available, and the men engaged in the work were obliged to use sticks in order to raise the body from the water.

The inquest was held yesterday afternoon before the Coroner, Mr H. Y. Widdowson.

Mr H. H. Loughnan appeared for I tho City Council, under whoso jnris- ! diction the baths are partly controlled, and Constable E. T. Boswortli watched the proceedings for tho police. Thomas King, father of the boy, residing at 53 Smith street, Woolston, identified the body as that of his son. He said that the boy was 13 years of age, and attended St. Anne's School, "Woolston. He was always bright and enjoyed good health. He had been in the habit of going for a bathe almost every day in' the summer months. The boy told his mother that ho was going for a bath© on Wednesday afternoon. He had just learned to swim. On Wednesday the boy's mate .was named Moore, a school chum. Lewis Charlie Moore, aged 14 years, said he knew the boy King, who was a chum of his. They often went to the baths together. King could only swim a little, and witness had learned only last season. Witness went on Wednesday to tho baths with King. The baths were then locked. The caretaker's wife, whom they saw, said they could go in before the girls' hour. She gave King the key, but neither of them asked for it. Witness's brother was also there. They had been bathing for five or ten minutes when Kins dived off tho side into the deepest part—about 9 feet deep. When he came up he struggled, and witness, who was standing at the end of the baths. Saw that the boy was. in difficulties. Witness looked around for a long pole which used to be there. He then went and told Mrs Swanson, the caretaker's wife, and she- told him to go to some carpenters who were working in the next paddock. The men came straight away, and found the boy under water. Witness lfeft them trying to get the body out' of the water. To tho police: He had not noticed any mark on King's forehead before he entered the water. Dr. T. L. Crooke said that he examined the body of the deceased that afternoon. The boy was well nourished. There) were no -marks of violence on the and only a slight breakage of skin on the forehead. . He had heard the history of the case, and from, the examination he would say that death was due to drowning. Peycival George Busing, builder, residing at 31 Sylvester street, Woolston, said that he was building a house in Sylvester street, about 300 yards from the Woolston baths. About 4.40 p.m. the boy Moore came to him, and said ■there was a boy drowning in the baths". Witness and liig man went oyer at once, but found no signs of the boy. The water wag very dark. His first intention was to dive in, but not finding the exact place where the boy was, he thought his best plan was to locate him, and he sent his man back for some sticks. While the man was away witness undressed and worked about the shallow end to see if there was any trace of the boy there. Wheit the mail come back, witness tested all tho way round the baths with' a stick, and,while doing that x two other young fellows came in for a swim. One of them dived in, and witness went into the centre of the baths, where they had not tested. The other man discovered the boy in the middle of the ; baths, where the depth wa3 about Oft Gin. The boy appeared to be lying in a kind of drain. They could not get him up for a while. It was after 5 p.m. that, with the aid of sticks, they got the boy out. The police had already been sent for, and Constable Bos- ■ worth was there when the Body was recovered. Witness had not known the boy before. Agnes Swanson said that she was the wife of George Swanson, caretaker of the school and the baths. The School Committee had control of tho baths in school hours and tho Council after school hours. After school hours they were public baths. Witness knew the boys King and Moore. Tho boys came to her about 4.30 p.m., asking her for a dip. The boy King was the one who spoke to her. She asked him if lie'could swim,, and-he said "Yes," and she warned them to be careful. The boys seemed eager fOT a swim. She told them they could go in until 5 p.m., and gave them the key. She heard the boy Moore screaming while she was sweeping the school at about twenty minutes to five. The boy said that King was drowning, and must be dead, as he had not come up. She told him to run to the carpenters. She ran inlo the baths to try to see the boy, thinking she might be able to hold him up. The water was dark because it was just time the baths were cleaned out after the holidays. It took three days to let the water out and fill the baths again. George Swanson, husband of tho previous witness, corroborated what his wife had said about the control of the baths. He was employed as caretaker of both school and baths. There had been no appliances since he had been caretaker for cases of accident. He had been caretaker of t/ie baths since about November 2oth, and of the school for about three years. :■ Were there any stomg at the bottom of the baths? —-There were some there when I cleaned the. baths about six weeks ago. Continuing, witness said that there was no drain or hollow at the floor of tho baths, but a big plug about 18 inches square. It was not really a practice to let boys go in, though there 1 were no instructions to that effect. lie ) often let boys in. thinking there was no harm in it. There was no restricI tion to keep boys out, but there were j hours fixed for the baths being open, i To Mr Loughnan: There was a time just before he took the job when there was no caretaker. Boys had been in I the habit of climbing over the fence and tramping on the school gardens adjoining the baths. llr Loughnan explained to the Coroner that there had been a kind of interregnum during which there was no caretaker* and complaints were made that people were getting over the fence. , To- the Coroner: On a hot' day he did not stick rigidly to - the bathing, hours, as it would be a hard tiling. He

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always asked people who wanted a bathe if they could swim. The Coroner: Why do you get that assurance from, them? ' "Witness: Well, it wouldn't be right not to do so. •There,, are hours when anyone can go in? —Yes, for about two hours after 5 o'clock. I am there, or my two sons when I am having my tea. To Mr Louglinan: Some of the teachers had keys to the baths during the day. The baths were not open to the public during school hours. It was not part of his duty to take card of the baths during school hours. He did not remember the bath having any appliances in case of accident before he took over the baths in November. To tho- Coroner: He thought there should be appliances at the baths. Constable. E. T. Bosworth o gave evidance of being summoned to the baths and recovering the" body at 5.20 p.m. There was a slight scar'on the left temple, which appeared to be quite fresh. lie thought the scar had been made when the boy dived into tho baths. • To tho Coroner: There had been a similar fatality at the same baths about four years' ago, when the baths were under the control of the Borough Council. The Coroner: That emphasises the fact that they should have some appliances there. "The cause of death is quite clear," said the Coroner in his verdict. "Deceased died on January 30th at the Woolston Swimming Baths. The cause of death was suffocation, due to drowning. I think it is only right and proper for me as Coroner to draw the attention of the authorities to the fact that the baths are not supplied with proper life-saving appliances. Not only was this boy drowned there, but it appears from the constable's evidence that a boy who was a swimmer lost his life there about four year 3 ago when the baths were under the Borough Council's control. lam of the opinion that all these baths should have appliances. Therefore I add as a rider that in the opinion of the Coroner all baths should be supplied with up-to-date life-saving appliances, to be available at all times." Mr Loughnan explained the difficulty of getting a caretaker after the previous one had left, and added that the school caretaker complained of people getting over the fence, and he was im-, mediately appointed to be caretaker of the baths. The Coroner added that he had never imagined that the baths would be under the control of the municipal authorities and' those of the school as ■well.