MAORI YOUTH DROWNED

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXXI, Issue 4566, 8 November 1937, Page 5

MAORI YOUTH DROWNED

FATALITY NEAR WAIROA. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) Wairoa, this day. A drowning fatality occurred on the Hangaroa River, Teringa, yesterday afternoon, the victim being Charlie Tangoiro, a Maori youth, about 19 years of age, of Ruotoria, who had for about four months been working in the Teringa district. The fatality was witnessed by another Maori, his wife and a number of children, who were bathing in the river. Tangoiro had swum from one side of the river to the other, and for a considerable time was playing with the children in the shallow water. He was wearing a pair of long trousers and was swimming back across the river when he was seen to dive. On coming to the surface again -Tangoiro swam another couple of strokes and again dived, evidently of the amusement of the children. This was the last seen of him alive. After dragging operations for an hour the body was recovered.

An inquest was held yesterday, the District Coroner, Mr. V. E. Winter, returning the finding that Tangoiro was accidentally drowned in . the Hangaroa River at' Teringa, probably having been seized with cramp.