GIRL DROWNED.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18925, 14 February 1927, Page 8

GIRL DROWNED.

DEATH AT THORNDON BATHS. [THE PRESS Special Service.] WELLINGTON, February 1.1. A girl aged 10} years, named Lyie Margaret Stella Rntcliffe, a daughter of Mr Percy RatclifTe, 104 Molesworth street, was drowned on Saturday afternoon at Thorndon Baths. Information lias been gathered that about 4.lft p.m. the little girl went to the assistance of another girl called Minnie Day, who was out of her depth. Lvlc RatclifTe apparently hud taken the child out safely. At 5.30 p.m. the caretaker (Edward Frank James Waters), who was iu his office, was informed that a girl's clothes were lying in the dressing shed, and that the owner could not he found. Mr Waters immediately dived in and swam along underneath the water. Hf found the girl lying on the bottom with her face upward. He took her out and applied artificial respiration, but when a doctor arrived he could only pronounce life to be extinct. The caretaker afterwards stated that there was an exceptionally large crowd at the baths on Saturday, representing about equal numbers of both sexes with a fair percentage of young people. As is usually the case where a crowd is concerned, no one could be found who knew anything about the actual occurrence. The girl was said to have been a particularly good swimmer.