BOY DROWNED

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 July 1934, Page 2

BOY DROWNED

EVIDENCE AT INQUEST.

[OUB OWN COBBJEBPONDIENT.]

REEFTON, July 13

[ An inquest was held at the Court House, this afternoon, to enquire into the circumstances of the death at Alexander River; of Sydney Mernn Tremain, before Mr W. B. Auld, as Coroner. Evidence was given by Leslie Sydney Tremain, 13ft years of age, who resides dith his mother at Alexander. Witness, a brother of Sydney Merrin Tremain, stated he saw his brother leave for Waiuta with a pack horse for groceries. He went to meet his brother about 4.30 p.m. on Thursday afternoon, and met him at the Alexander River crossing. He was riding the pack horse, and witness talked with him. They went to the ford, and witness directed his brother to the spot where the ford was. The horse got part of the way across the ford, and stumbled, but recovered, and walked a few steps and then rolled over. His brother was washed off the horse’s back by the current, and he was carried down stream. Witness He rode a horse over the river and went down stream to a ripple crossing. He entered the stream and endeavoured to stop his brother from going down stream, but was not able to get close enough to stop him from being washed down the stream, the current was too strong. He disappeared and witness went to the police camp and reported the accident. His brother had been to Waiuta on pack horse before several times.

Edward Woodhouse stated he resided at Alexander, and was a half-broth-er of deceased. He owned the horse that deceased was riding. The boy had often ridden the horse into Waiuta for stores. He saw the boy leave for Waiuta about 8 a.m. on Thursday. The lad was strong, healthy and not nervous. Witness heard of the accident about 3 p.m. In company with several others witness went to the river and found the body down stream about one and a-half miles, laying across a sapling which was across the stream. The boy was wearing gum boots when he left camp, but when the body was found it had on shirt, pullover, and trousers. They removed the body from the stream and applied artificial respiration for over an hour, but produced no effect. The stream was rough at the crossing, there being big boulders in the bed, but it was not dangerous.

In reply to a question from the Coroner, witness stated that he considered the stream was safe for the boy to cross. The boy did not have a big pack on.

James Wilson, police constable, stationed at Reeften, said he- was at Alexander. The accident was reported to him shortly after 3 p.m. Witness went to the river, but was not present when the body was found. He was informed that the body had been found, and came to the spot and found artificial respiration being applied. He examined the boy. who was dead. They conveyed the body to Alexander and thence to Reefton. Witness considered that the ford was safe, and it was about 300 yards from the township. The Coroner found that Sydney Mervyn Tremain, was accidently drowned while crossing the Alexander River.