RIFLE RANGE MISHAP

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 200, 21 May 1931, Page 16

RIFLE RANGE MISHAP

Boy Accidentally Shot

WOUNDED IN LEG

Dominion Special Service.

Christchurch, May 18.

Allan Harvey Foatc, a sixtecn-ycar-old pupil of the Christchurch Boys’ High School, was accidentally shot on the Redcliffs rifle range early on Saturday morning. He is now in the Public Hospital in a satisfactory condition. A party of High School Cadets was to have gone down to the range to do some competition shooting, and several of the party arrived on the scene by bicycle at eight o’clock. One of Foate’s companions, aged fifteen years, had his rifle. He had a cartridge with him, and he was inserting this in the breech of the rifle, and then ejecting it, when the loaded weapon went off.

Foate was standing about ten paces away, on the 300 yards mound, when the rifle went off, and the bullet entered the fleshy part of his leg. Two boys immediately went to summon help, and met Captain W. Hoare and Sergeant-Major A. L. Emerson, of the Permanent Staff, who were bringing up the ammunition preparatory to conducting the shoot, A doctor was summoned, and Foate was then removed to the hospital by motor-car.

I-Tow the boy obtained the ammunition is not known, for at the time of the accident the rounds for the shooting had not arrived. It is believed that when he had the rifle loaded he accidentally pressed the trigger, thus causing the accident.

A Defence Department' Court of Inquiry will investigate the circumstances of the accident. Major D. E. Bremner will preside, and the other members of the court will be Captains A. M. Sted; man and K. J. Walker.