BABY IN RIVER.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 3 November 1924, Page 4

BABY IN RIVER.

FALL FROM SWING BRIDGE. HAWERA MAN’S ACTION. PREVENTS A FATALITY. (From Our Manaia Correspondent.) At Kaupokonui beach yesterday (.Sun. day') afternoon,; what may have ended in „a fatality befel the : six-months-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. V. H. Hobday, of Manaia, and only for the prompt foresight and action of Mr. Canty, of South Road, Hawera, there is no doubt that the child would have been drowned. Mr. and Mrs. Hobday and family were spending the afternoon at the beach. During the afternoon Mrs. Hobday and the children were crossing to the opposite side of the Kaupokonui river over the newly-erected swing bridge. Mrs. Hobday, who was. carrying the infant in her arms, was suddenly overcome with faintness and lost hold of the baby, which fell over 16 feet from the bridge into the river—which was in high flood owing to the recent heavy rain—and was being carried" down the stream to the sea when Mr. Canty, who was about a chain down from the bridge, rushed in fully dressed and rescued the infant. Mr. Hobday, who wa s a distance away when the accident occurred, on hearing the cries of his children rushed to the scene and arrived in time to see Mr. Canty leaving the stream with the baby. The little child, was very fortunate in falling on its back, and I am very pleased to report that it is now all right. It has, indeed, been a great shock to Mr. and Mrs. Hobday, from the effect of which Mrs. Hobday is still suffering. The new r ly-erected swing bridge over the Kaupokonui river is, I am informed, not too safe at present, having only one side_ with wire-netting on, and an> one crossing is liable to get giddy and overbalance into the river, there being no protection from the other side, i that the bridge, which has been put up by voluntary ’labour has yet to be finished. The structure is a good one; and the public are deeply indebted to . the supporters of the Seaside Club for the erection of same, but people will have to be careful until the bridge is safe. Mr.. Canty is to be highly commended for his ‘prompt action. r 1 CHILD DROWNED. (BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION ) ' DUNEDIN. Nov. i. txilm William Farquharson aired 2 years, a. son of Wm. Grant Farmiharson, was drowned in the Kaikorai stream last night. His mother *aw him Trying with other boys. Missing hiA later, she thought he had gone to meet Ins father. ‘