BOY DROWNED

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 92, 12 January 1921, Page 4

BOY DROWNED

WHILE BATHING AT TRENTHAM.

While bathing in the Hutt River a swimming-pool below Moonshine. Trantham. on Monday a 15-year-old boy named Hector Macduff, whose parents reside in Parawai Road. Thames, Auckland, was accidentally drowned. Macduff, it appears, was a member of a company of Senior Cadets who are in training ht Trantham in connection with the secondary school camp scheme. On Monday afternoon a party of 110 cadets, under 'the charge of Lieutenant Dove, inarched out to Moonshine to a large bathing-hole—tho recognised swimming resort of Trantham Camp. Prior tn commencing the bathe, pickets were stationed at intervals along the bank, and an indication given that all non-swimmers were to step out. The non-swim mors were placed in squads "J"' 1 a practised swimmer in charge. Deceased did not comply with tho latter instruction. At 4.30 p.m. the aquatic operations commenced, r.nd at 4.45 —a quarter of an hour later—a whistle was blown to mark the cessation of tho bathing. After the boys had been lined up preparatory to leaving, Sergeant-Major Ryan had a look arolnd tho banks for tho purpose of finding out whether any clothing had been mislaid. As a result of the inspection a complete outfit was discovered, the inside of the hat of which contained deceased’s name. A search was instituted, and shortly afterwards the body of the boy was located in 15 feet of water. Sevctnl attempts to obtain if by diving failing, a pole was used, and at about 5.25 the body was recovered. At an inquest held nt Trentbffm yesterday, the Coroner (Mr. F. K. Hunt P.M.) returned n verdict to the effect that death was due to accidental drowning, no blame being attachable to any-

Tt is stated that there were three officers and n sergeant, as well as two doctors, bathing in the hole at the time the fatality occurred, but no one saw the boy disappear or had any idea that anything untoward had ba/ben-X. .The fatality recalls a case which occurred nt Te Aro Baths some seven ago when a boy was drowned in a crowded public bath, tho first intimation of the tragedy being the finding of a complete outfit of clothes in one of the dressingrooms by the caretaker of the baths when ho made his final round in the evening. A search revealed f/.e boy's body in the water.