SAILING CANOES
A DANGEROUS PRACTICE COMMENT AT INQUEST Comment on the dangerous practice of boys sailing canoes in deep water was made by the Coroner (Mr. J. 8. Barton, S.M.) yesterday, when an Inquest was held on Eric Ernest Douglas, aged 17J, who lost his life at Island Bay last Saturday afternoon through his canoe overturning. The father of the boy, Ernest Douglas, said he did not know that his son owned a canoe. In his opinion they were most dangerous things. “I agree with you,” said the Coroner. “It is not the first inquest I have held on youths who cannot see the danger of canoes.” Witness said the canoes should be destroyed. Boys did not take much notice of warnings. Constable Baker said that a number o residents had complained about the practice of the boys going out into deep water, but he was powerless to do anything. There was no law against it, and he had no jurisdiction over the children. ■ “It is like carrying out prohibition, remarked the Coroner. “For hundreds and ■ thousands of years mankind has been finding out what makes for stability in the water. These youths want to go back to those years of long ago and gain their own experience. That is what happened here. It is very unfortunate.” A verdict that deceased was accidentally drowned was returned.
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Bibliographic details
Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 210, 1 June 1929, Page 7
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226SAILING CANOES Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 210, 1 June 1929, Page 7
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