HOT POOL TRAGEDIES

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 18 September 1934, Page 7

HOT POOL TRAGEDIES

TOO FREQUENT AT ROTORUA . _ COMMENT BY THE CORONER. PROPER FENCING NECESSARY. /hy J.etf’jfcrapH—Press A satiation./ ROTORUA, Sept. 17. ‘ ‘ The death of this young girl again draws pointed attention to the necessity for proper fencing of these dangerous pools;” said the < coroner, Mr \V. L. Richards, to-day in recording a finding of accidental death in the case of Nona Pettit, a 20-vear-old Rotorua girl who died from shock caused by severe scalds caused. through falling into a hot pool in the Kui'rau reserve on the evening of September 13. Tragedies of this kind are becoming too frequent, which indicates how essential it. is for precautionary measures to be taken without delay, ’ ’ the coroner continued. “It is to be hoped the authorities controlling this area will, take immediate, steps to enclose all these danger ■ spots within their jurisdiction with the object of avoiding similar tragedies in future. I understand a pool adjacent, to the scene of this unfortunate fatality is a very popiTiar bathing j>lace. If that is so the public should realise that deviating from footpaths after darkness has set in for the purpose of a bat'h, however pleasant, involves too great a risk, particularly in the absence of lighting facilities.” The evidence showed that the girl went to the reserve shortly after nine o ’clock with a companion, for the purpose of bathing in a large warm poo!. She left her clothes some distance away and while passing along a narrow path between two smaller pools accident-ally slipped and fell into one of them. She was admitted to the Rotorua hospital and died the following ’■morning- from the effects of shock and scalding.