ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES

Northern Advocate, 31 January 1928, Page 6

ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES

A NOBLE DEATH. (Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, This Day. A fatality occurred in Manukau harbour yesterday, Percy White being browned in attempting to rescue a ;hild named Pearce, who had fallen ! rom Cornwallis Wharf. When the child fell into the water White immediately dived in, although no was not a strong swimmer, having ! been severely injured in the war. Other helpers assisted White and the child to shore, but though the child was all riobt. White collapsed. Artificial respiration was unsuccessful. Deceased was married, with two children, and lived in Onehunga. UNKNOWN MAN DROWNED. DUNEDIN, This Day. At about 6.30 last evening, bathers on St. Clair Beach were alarmed to see a man, who had been swimming beyond the outside edge of the breakers, throw up his arms and disappear. Several members of the St. Clair Life Sav- ( ing Club immediately swam to the spot, 1 but though they searched until a late hour, no sign of the swimmer was found. Apparently no one saw him go into the water, ( and his identity is as yet unknown. IDENTITY ESTABLISHED. DUNEDIN, This Day.' The victim of the drowning at St. Clair yesterday was Meredith Norman Nesbit, aged 17, employed in the operating room of the Telegraph Office. The body was washed up on the second beach this morning. Nesbit, whose father is a teacher at the Moray Place School, was to have bathed with a party, but as they did not appear he went in alone, entering the water off the rocks at the baths, a most dangerous spot. Surf Club members swam to the spot immediately the alarm was given, but saw nothing in a long search. It is supposed that when he sank Nesbit got caught in the kelp which is plentiful there. WANDERED INTO WATER RACE. CHRISTCHURCH; This Day.

At Darfield yesterday, a two-year-old child, Maurice John Boulton, was accidentally drowned in a water race running through his parents’ property at Kimberley. The child was just able to walk, and made its way to a hole in the water rape about 40 yards from the house, where it fell in. The child was missed and a search discovered the, body. At the inquest, a verdict of accidental death by drowning was returned, FALL FROM LORRY. MASTERTOIf, This Day. While riding With her mother and two sisters on a motor lorry from Peatherston to Carterton on Saturday, Evelyn Matanga, aged five years and nine months, fell from the front seat beside the driver, on to the road and fractured her pelvis and ribs. iShc was admitted to Mastcrton Hospital, where •an operation was performed, but the child died yesterday. At the inquest, a verdict was returned that the child died from injuries received through falling from a motor lorry, the coroner adding that, while the driver, who was a relative of deceased,. apparently exercised ordinary precautions, it was rather precarious to place small children on the front seat of a lorry that had no doors. MOTOR LORRY ACCIDENT. DRIVER INCAPABLE. CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. At tho inquest on. Thomas Samuel David Porter, aged 33, who was killed as the result of a motor lorry accident in which he was a passenger, the coroner said that the driver, James Joseph Small, had taken more drink than he should have in the circumstances. Though ho was not drunk, his mental equilibrium was disturbed to the point where he was unlit to be in charge of the truck. There was nothing to have caused a man in his normal senses to have driven into the gutter. A verdict was returned' in accordance with the medical testimony. A FOOLISH ACT. CAUSES FRIGHTFUL DEATH. CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. Richard Vernon Watkins, aged 10, was burned to death yesterday. He and three other boys found a gallon of petrol in. a tin. Watkins put a match to it and, before ho could run* the flames caught hSs clothes, inflicting terrible injuries from which he died six hours later. BUSHMAN SUCCUMBS. BLENHEIM, This Day. The death occurred at Stafford Hospital yesterday of Theodore Johansen Eggers, aged 51, who was injured on November 22 while bushfelling at Tinline Valley, Polorus. Eggers was employed at Bryant Bros’ timber mill a,nd sustained a fractured pelvis and internal injuries, a log rolling on him. He had been in hospital since the accident. HIT BY MOTOR CYCLE.

WELLINGTON, This Day,

Miss Elsie Noble was knocked over by a motor cycle last night and had a leg broken.—Press Assn.