A Boy’s Ordeal

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIV, Issue 281, 7 November 1924, Page 4

A Boy’s Ordeal

CAUGHT IN MANUKA. SUSPENDED FOR 31 HOURS. (Per Prfcss Association.) Gisborne, Nov. C. To ho missing for about 31 hours, to hav© a big army of searchers out patrolling the district, and then to be found securely caught in the roof of a fowlhouse 200 yards from his home Was the remarkable experience that befel an eleven-year-old schoolboy named Robert Hadwen, son of Captain Hadwen. of tlie tug Tawera. Th© family live at Mangapapa. a suburb of Gisborne, on property adjacent t© th© Cook Hospital, and the parents supply eggs from their poultry farm to that institution, gaining access by means of a path at the end of their property. Yesterday morning Robert Hadwen. his elder brother and sister set out for school, taking the usual basket of eggs to leave at th© institution, Robert Hadwen carrying the eggs. About halfway to th© institution the elder brother sent Robert back t© get 'his (Robert’s) overcoat. a a the weather was showery. Robert wont back and th© elder brother and his sister went on to school, ffomewhat to their surprise, Robert did not turn up at school and on their arrival home, about 3.30. the girl asked what was wrong. Th© mother made inquiries and communicated with the police, and soon several partie« were out scouring the district. Last night heavy rain fell, but despite th© weather conditions the parties continued to search, but with no success. Others replaced the voluntary helper# this morning, and a party of school lad s from th© Mangapapa School wa 8 taken out by the headmaster. Shortly after 1 o’clock th e mother saw th© boy’s uncle. Mr George Brown, returning towards the house with th© lad on his back. The uncle stated that he found the lad in a clump of manuka trees in on© of th© fowlruns which lie in a gully and are covered with manuka scrub to keep the sun and rain frow* th© birds. To th© uncle’s sunwise he found Robert hanging downwards with his head and chest in th© fowlrun his head being som© twelve feet above the ground. The boy’s lips were black and swollen, almost double the usual size. From the few words gathered from the lad some hours later it appears that rain came on, and lie went to take shelter at the end of the fowlrun behind a tree, but slipped on top of the fowlyard and wa s firmly caught. The fowls were fed in the fowlhouse some few yards away last night and this morning he could just se© th© fowls being fed and could hear voices calling, but could neither make a movement nor speak. The lad is now suffering from exposure and cannot talk more than a few words, but hi s condition is not considered serious.