MOANA FATALITY

Grey River Argus, 30 July 1940, Page 2

MOANA FATALITY

INQUEST ON CHILD An inquest concerning the death of Leonelie Taylor, aged one year and ten months, who was drowned at Moana, on July 18, was held al Greymouth yesterday before Mr G G. Chisholm, S.:M., Coroner. SeniorSergeant G. F. Bonisch conducted proceedings for the police. Evidence of identification was given by Henry Alexander Taylor, fathe” of deceased.

Dr. M. R. Sneddon, of Brunner, said that about 10.45 a.m. on July 18 she was called to give medical assistance to deceased, who was apparently drowned by falling into water at Moana. Over the telephone she gave instructions in first aid, which appeared to be being carried out correctly. Witness arrived at the scene about three-quarters of an hour lat.:r, when artificial respiration and other treatment was still being efficiently carried out. Attempts at revival for about another half-hour were without result. In witness’s opinion death was due to drowning. Mrs Cecelia Constance Dense, of Moana, said that about 9.30 a.m. on July 18, Mrs Taylor, who lived nearby, went to a sewing circle at Kotuku and left her child, Leonelle, in witness’s care. Her little boy, Campbell, aged about 45 years, was also le r ’t in witness’s charge. The two children, with witness’s little girl, Elsie, aged 5 years, were all playing in the backyard of witness’s home. About IG.3G am. witness went into the house to put some vegetables on for the children’s lunch. She was hardly in the house five minutes before she again went into the backyard. She saw _ Elsie and Campbell running across the yard and went to look for Leonelle in the opposite direction. Witness then saw her in the water in a hole from which witness’s husband had been getting gravel. She was face down right over on one side of the hole and her arms and legs were moving. Witness at once got into the hole, got the child out and ran towards a neighbour’s place. Witness was calling out and Mrs Nord, who lived next to Taylors, came out, with Mrs Sullivan, of Kaimata. Mrs Sullivan took the baby and started to apply artificial respiration,. Dr. Sneddon, of Wallsend, was sent tor Artificial respiration was kept up right till the time that the doctor arriver, after which the doctor continued with it. The hole in the backyard of witness’s home was about -il feet by 9 feet. Where the baby was lying there was about a foot of water, and the water was about three feet below the top of the bank. To the Coroner: The hole had been there for about 12 months and always had surface water in it.

Constable J. W. Hammond, of Brunnerton, said that about 3.40 p.m. on July 18, the witness Mrs Dense, showed him a hole containing waler, in the backyard of her home, and the position at one end of the hole from which she had recovered deceased. The hole was about 11 feet long by 9 feet across. There was about a foot of water at the end of the hole where [deceased was found. From that position to the entrance or the hole was about nine feet. At the entrance of the hole there was about 18 inches of water. No person saw aeceased get into the water, but it would appear that deceased fell into the water from the bank about three feet above the surface of the water The Coroner returned a verdict that deceased was drowned by accidentally falling into a water hole at Moana, on July 18, adding that he thought it would be a wise precaution if the hole was filled in. If there was always water in the hole, it was a danger.