CHILD DROWNED

Hokitika Guardian, 15 February 1939, Page 5

CHILD DROWNED

ALLEGED DOCTORS REFUSED TO . COME. .

( (Pet;Press; Copyright):' ‘' WELLINGTON,, An allegation that two doctors had 6. declined to come when he called them, was. made at an inquest at Lower Hutt to-day by the father of Beverley Irene Allison, aged two years and eight months, whose body was found in the Waiwhetu stream, near, Rossister Avenue, on Friday afternoon. Evidence was given that the child had wandered from the (house of her grandmother, and on a search being made her body was found in the stream. The grandmother tried to resuscitate the child, as also did Dr. R. A. Blakewell, who arrived half an hour after, the finding of the body.

Coroner E. Gilbertson said' that the case was one where a knowledge of resuscitation was most important. What tho grandmother had done was correct as far as it went, but he was of the opinion that the life of thechild could have been saved if someone with, a full knowledge of lifesaving methods had been present.

The father of the child asked the Coroner if it were not compulsory for medical men, if they were at th,eir surgeries, to attend cases when called. t|e had called two doctors, who had refused to come, and hence the late arrival of Dr. Bakewell. The Coroner said that there was no compulsion, but he supposed that the doctors in question had engagements.

The finding was that the child was accidentally drowned on February 10, nv falling into the Waiwhetu stream.