Help refused, alleges drowned boy’s friend

Press, 9 October 1982, Page 3

Help refused, alleges drowned boy’s friend

PA Auckland A shivering, badly shaken boy just rescued from a flooded creek has said he was turned away from a nearby sports club last Sunday when he pleaded with a member to save his friend. But an official of the club has denied that the boy came to the clubhouse and suggested that he had to gone another. Rodney Rawiri, aged eight, of Mount Albert, said he ran to the Metro Sports Club's clubhouse in a desperate bid to get help for his friend, Aaron Barnett, aged nine. Only minutes earlier, Aaron who could not swim, had pushed him to the safety ol the bank of the Oakley Creek. But Aaron’s foot became and Rodney’s own rescue attempts failed. Rodney said he then ran to .the Metro Sports clubhouse on the reserve close to the creek. "I said (to the club member) that.there was someone drowning and he said 'Go away’,” said Rodney. “He said ‘Members only allowed here’ ” , Aaron is now in Auckland Hospital He was under

water for an estimated 15 minutes and has suffered extensive brain damage. The man who finally dragged him to the bank, a nearby resident. Mr David Watson, had left his sick bed to dive into the pool. . Aaron's parents, Michael and Jennie Barnett, said yesterday they had already accepted the doctor's verdict that their son would die, but they found it hard to believe that somebody had refused to help. “We are just totally shattered by it,” said Mr Barnett. “Those few minutes would have made all the difference. “Rodney would have been wet right through. It is obvious the boy was distressed. I just cannot comprehend it.. it is just hard to believe,” he said. Rodney Rawiri's mother, Denise, described the incident as an utter disgrace. “I just cannot believe that somebody would turn a little boy away like that,” she said. “I went to look for them that afternoon and when I saw him walking down the street he was yelling out to me, 'Save my friend'.” The Metro Sports Club secretary, Mrs Kay Whitford,

said she thought Rodney might have confused the clubhouse with the clubrooms of the Akarana Kennels. which are closer to the stream.

She said about five adults and some children were at the clubhouse on Sunday. . “Nobody came over and told us,” said Mrs Whitford. The first the members knew about it was when the children pointed to police cars near the kennel club. She said among those present was the chairman, Mr Arthur Brear. “As Arthur said, if someone had come to him he would have been over there like a shot,” she said. Mrs Whitford said the club would meet next week to

The patron of the kennel club. Mrs Rae Dreaneen. said yesterday that to her knowledge the clubrooms were closed on Sunday afternoon.

The “Auckland Star” took Rodney Rawiri back to the reserve yesterday and asked him to retrace his footsteps. He said he had not stopped at the kennel club “because nobody was there.” He said he ran to. the Metro clubhouse.