SCHOOLBOY DROWNS

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30933, 14 December 1965, Page 1

SCHOOLBOY DROWNS

Two Saved By Cricketer (New Zealand Pre,, d»actation> DUNEDIN, December 13. A 12-year-old pupil of the Ravensbourne School was drowned at a school picnic at Karitane about 12.45 pjn. today. He was Kevin Alan Morrison, of 48 Manapouri street, Ravensbouroe.

His teacher, a wellknown Otago sportsman and former Plunket Shield cricketer, Mr Lankford Smith, was almost drowned in an attempt to rescue three children who got into difficulties.

The tragedy occurred at the Karitane beach domain, near the Waikouaiti river mouth, at a spot known as King Hole. Rescued Two Mr Smith had rescued two children. He lost his grip of Kevin Morrison. Children told conflicting stories of what had occurred. Some thought Mr Smith was playing a game as he struggled to shallower water hampered by thick kelp, and with children clinging to his arms and legs. The driver of the New Zealand Railways bus which took the children to Karitane, Mr R. Burns, said that when he returned to the swimming hole, he saw Mr Smith lying motionless in the water. Children Screaming "I thought he was teaching the children to float," he said. "But the , children were

screaming, *lt*s too deep,* so I rushed down and stripped off. “I’m no swimmer but I got out to Mm and pulled him out," Mr Buras said. "I began artificial resuscitation immediately, and I had him breathing before I got Mm to the shore. "I did not know there was a little boy missing at the time." he said. "One of the teachers took a count and we found there was. "Only about half an hour before Lankford said he was feeling extremely tired, but he dare not elose his eyes for fear that something might go wrong," Mr Burns said. By Ambulance Mr Smith was first removed by ambulance to hospital, and later returned to his home. He was in a state of shock tonight

The dead boy was a pupil from standard 5. Mr Smith taught standards 3, 4 and 5. Mr Smith was the only teacher with the bus load of about 38 children. He had promised them such an outing early in the year. Two Hours Later The body of the child was recovered about two hours after the incident. The spot where the tragedy occurred i* near the coast road. Police said tonight the water from the river hit a large wall, and then swirled out at right angles to the sea. It was low tide at the time but the pool would still range in depth up to about 14ft, although a large part of the area was shallow. The pool would cover an area of about half an acre. Part of the area was quite turbulent, residents said.