CORONER’S INQUEST

Evening Star, Issue 20317, 28 October 1929, Page 8

CORONER’S INQUEST

An inquest was held at Balclutha this morning before the district coroner (Mr Dixon). Evidence of identification was given by the two fathers. Alfred Hayward, •salesman, stated that lie last saw ids son at midday on Saturday. The boy could not- swim. David Greenfield Algic said that ho last saw ids son at lunch on Saturday, when lie left to go fishing. He could swim only a few strokes, but was able to “ dog-paddle.” Stephen Algic, aged lo years, said that he and ids brother (the deceased) left home about 1 p.m. on Saturday to fish at Anderson’s Lagoon. They met the boy Hayward and two other boys, named Hanley and Keach. After fishing at tho lagoon for a while they went to another stretch, and found a boat The four of them got in and pushed it out. They all endeavoured to get out, and the boat thereupon capsized. Witness and Hayward were thrown into the water, while his brother and Hanley clung to the side. Witness managed to reach the shore in an exhausted condition. He saw his brother and Hanley jump into tho water, and also saw Hayward come up and go down two or three times. He wont back to try and rescue them, but Ids brother had disappeared. He managed to get hold of Hanley, and both of them- were pulled out by Air A, Stewart, who had arrived on the scene. The lagoon was about 20yds wide and about 10ft deep. Witness’s brother had on him a fishing bag with eight perch in it. All the boys had bare feet, but otherwise were fully dressed. Archibald Hanley gave corroborative evidence. He remembered being on top of the boat, hut nothing after until he was pulled out of the water. Adam Stewart (Benhar) stated that he was fishing about 200yds away when he was attracted by the cries of the boys. ‘‘This is just a case of boys being boys,” said the Coroner, in returning a verdict of accidental death. No one was to blame. He extended his sincere sympathies to the relatives of the two hors.