DROWNING ACCIDENT.

Northern Advocate, 9 February 1925, Page 6

DROWNING ACCIDENT.

I ONE TREE POINT CASE. ! CHRISTMAS WEEK TRAGEDY. On the afternoon of Saturday, December 27 last, Daphne May Jurakovich, daughter of Mr Mark Jurakovich, of One Tree Point, was drowned while bathing. As t'lie inquest was held at Mr Jurakovich's house on the following day, no report, of it was made available. A copy of the Acting Coroner's report lias now been obtained from the Justicc Department, :and this reproduces in full the evidence given by the witnesses who were called. The Acting Coroner was Mr A. S. Boldero, -J.P., and the members of tlie jury were Messrs W. J. Wilson, M. Glucina, S. Devich, F. Glucina, M. ! Primae and M. Matutinovich, their verdict being that the deceased met her death through accidental drowning. The first witness was Mrs Jurakovich, who gave evidence of identification and stated that she had been in Whangarei when she received word of the accident and immediately returned. Ellen Myrtle Webb gave the following evidence: —"I ani 12 years of age j and reside with my father and mother lin Vine Street, Whangarei. Aboit 2.30 p.m. on December 27, 1924, I along with the deceased and James Webb, aged five years, and Joyce ■Jurakovich, aged six years, went for a swim. Daphne could not swim and Ave were wading in Bla'cksmith's Creek, when we both slipped into a hole bei yond our depth. We both sank over j our heads. The deceased clutched ma around the neck. We both went under j the water again. On coming up again | I attempted to reach the bank and j sank several times before the deceased lost her "hold. I then made the bank and saw Daphne going down. I again attempted to reach her, but failed, and, shouting for help, I ran to Mr Maras' house, about two or three chains away. I gave the alarm to Mrs Maras and another woman who was with her. I ran with them and showed them where the deceased had disappeared. They could uot swim. I then ran to the deceased's home and informed the household." Mrs Matutinovich's evidence reads as follows: —"I am a married woman and reside with my husband and j family at One Tree Point. I visited Mrs Maras yesterday, 27/12/24, and about 2.30 p.m. the girl Webb came running to the house and said that her cousin was drowning. I called Mrs Maras and ran with the girl Webb I down to the liole, which was pointed j out by Ellen Webb. As we could not ! swim and the body was not in sight | nothing could be done. The hole j seemed very deep, about 7 or 8 feet, j The girl Webb then ran for further help, and in about three quarters of an Tiour Frank Glucina recovered the body. An attempt to restore animation was persevered with for about one h°ui and a half, but without success. Previous to the alarm'l could hear the children playing in the water apparently on the best of terms."

The only other witness called was Dr. William Todd, of Waipu, who stated that he had made an examination and found that the condition of the body was quite consistent with a case of drowning. On Monday following the accident the "Northern Advocate", published an account of it which was substantially in accord with the evidence given at the inquest, though it stated that .when Nellie Webb called at a house a couple of chains away the inmates did not proffer assistance. Subsequently a statement was published to the effect that Mr Andrew Maras the nearest resident to the scene of ' the accident, denied the report that Nellie obb had called at his house. The evidence given by Nellie Webb and rs Matutinovich is, however, quite clear on this point.