THE LATE ACCIDENT BY DROWNING IN THE HARBOUR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIII, Issue 4669, 31 October 1876, Page 2

THE LATE ACCIDENT BY DROWNING IN THE HARBOUR.

.yjjsxBRDAY afternoon, c the Coroner (Dr. Philson) held an "inquesfc~at" the Alexandra I ; Hotel, Parnell. pn. tho body of Harry Scott Smallfield, who waa. accidentally drowned in the' The jury Having viewed the body, the! Coroner proceeded; to take evidence, which substantially, corresponded with the account of the accident that appeared in our issue ; of yesterday, scaraely anything new being: elicited. —Alfred Herbert Gentil (son of Mr. i Gentil, of the Bank of New Zealand, ) nar-; rated the circumstances under . which the : accident took place accurately and: intelligently. ' He stated that he was an assistant In Messrs. Sargood and Co.'a establishment, and knew the deceased, who was about 16 years of. age. On Saturday last, < the deceased (who was a clerk in Mr. Morton's office)'hired and witness, aboat fromMr.Hilditcb, of the Salt-water Baths, for thepurpose of' 'having a croise down the harbour for pleasure. The boat was ten or twelve feet long, and provided, with a mast and two sails. Mr. Hilditch said it waß a very nice one and seaworthy. He (Gentil) set the sails and the deceased steered. When they got as far as Judge's Bay, they found it necessary topnt about. About half-past two o'clock Gentil proposed that they should both baths, but the deceased objecting to do so, the proposition was abandoned. Shortly afterwards they fell in with a boat, in which were several young men, and they followed it as far as the Bastion Rock. Gentil shifted the mainsheet on to the port side, and, having done so, he stooped down to put the oar in its place, when he noticed the water rushing into the boat on the port side. The boat immediately filled, and both youths were washed out of it, but neither of them sank. They both clung to the keel of the boat, which it this time turned bottom upwards. The boat then commenced to roll over, and they were both washed off the keel, notwithstanding the tenacity with which they clung to it. They again succeeded in getting hold of the keel, but there being a somewhat rough sea on at the time, they soon lost their hold. The deceased was a good swimmer, and did all he could to save Viia companion, who could not swim. Gentil got hold of an oar, and was, somehow, kept afloat till rescued by Mr. Biddick, who, noticing the accident, promptly jut off in his dingy to rescue the drowning youths. . He succeeded in saving Gentil, who was much exhausted and unconscious, but Smallfield disappeared ere he (Mr. Biddiet) could reach where the boat capsized. Gentil attributed the upsetting of the boat to being struck broadside with a wave. No mistake had, he said, been committed either by himself or by deceased in the management of the boat, with the management of which he was accustomed since" he was 13 or 14 years of age. They were never out in the same boat before, and were, consequently, unacquainted with it. They had limejuiee and other refreshments in the boat, but no alcoholic liquors. Mrs. Gentil gave permission to her son to go out boating.—James Biddick, farmer, Kohimarama, stated that abort half-past three o'clock e~i Saturday last, '.ivs i rn called his attention to a bo*t that Lid v ,een upset off the Bastion Rock, and he lost no time in putting off in liis dingy to rescue the drowning youths. In about ten minutes he reached the boat, and saved Gentil from a watery grave, Smallfield havin by this time disappeared. When rescued Gentil was clinging to an oar. Had he remained a minute or two more in the perilous position he was, he would have been drowned. He (Mr. Biddick) considered that the boat was "right enough " if it had been properly worked. Capt. Breton re- j ported the accident to the police. Sergt. Martin, of the Water Police, on receiv- ' ing information as to the accident, lost no time in proceeding to the scene of the mishap, accompanied by Constables Tapsell and Sampson, and succeeded in recovering the body with drags, in 18 feet of water. There were no marks of on the body, which was cold and rigid wluvu recovered. — Thomas Hilditch stated that he hired a boat—a light skiff—to Gentil !nd the deceased on Saturday afternoon laat, and cautioned the lads respecting the working of it. No accident would have occurred had the boat been properly managed. He intended to sell the boat, and also another craft oi the same description which he possessed, as soon as possible. The jury returned & verdict of "Accidentally drowned."