Tragic End to Play

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 74, 28 March 1936, Page 3

Tragic End to Play

DROWNED IN WATER DRAIN. BOY CAUGHT BY THICK MUD. SYDNEY, March 21. Where a stormwater channel empties itself into Biackwattle Bay, Glebe, an upper arm of Sydney Harbour chiefly devoted to industrial purposes, nearly a dozen men ran helplessly about while a nipe-years-old boy, James Ryan, sank and was buried in thick mud on the bottom. He was dead when a rescuer, fully dressed, dived into the water and brought him to the surface. Ryan had been paddling in the stormwater channel, which is about 18in. above the surface of the water in the bay. Running gaily along the water in the channel with the intention of paddling in the open water, Ryan failed to observe the sudden drop before him and plunged feet first into, tho discoloured water of the bay. A boy with Ryan saw the latter disappear and, running to the edge, tried to find him, but Ryan had disappeared in the dirty water. The boy ran to a timber yard and told Mr. Leslie Stafford. “When I got there,’’ said Stafford afterwards, “I saw nearly a dozen men running about. I cannot understand why they did not go to Ryan’s assistance. Only one of them was looking for the boy. He dived many times, while the othei watched him, and he eventually left the water exhausted.’’

Mr. Stafford, when he arrived, hesitated only long enough to remove his boots. He dived into the dirty water repeatedly, descending to the murky depths and eventually finding Ryan held by the mud at the bottom. After strenuous efforts he freed the boy; and took him to the surface. Another employee from the timber yard helped him to get the boy ashore. They applied artificial means of respiration which were continued by ambulance officers, but Ryan was beyond aid. A police sergeant highly commended Mr. Stafford. “Considering the water at that place,” he said, “you could not imagine a more plucky action.”