A BOY DROWNED AT THE CITY SALTWATER BATHS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10020, 6 January 1896, Page 5

A BOY DROWNED AT THE CITY SALTWATER BATHS.

A lamentable misadventure took place at the City Saltwater Baths about half-past five o'clock on Saturday evening, by which a boy named Absolom Sheehan, aged 13, lost his life. The following are the circumstances so far as they could be gathered. Sheehan has been a frequent visitor to tho baths, nnd the custodian (Mr. Robert Glover) states that ho could swim well. There were about 20 people in the baths at the time, and the dressing boxes on either side were full of visitors, either dressing or undressing, so how the accident was not noticed is a mystery. The last seen of him was a short time previously, at the north end of the baths, where there is a raised platform roped in for beginners. The first to notice the disappearance of the lad was his little brother, who went up to Mr. Glover, and said his brother's clothes wero lying on the platform, ■ bob he could not soo him in the baths or about. The boy pointed out the spot where his brother had been last seen, and a son of Mr. Clover's, John Glover, who happened to be in the vicinity, promptly thre"v off his coat and dived off the springboard the length of tho bath, finding the mi&'iing boy at the bottom, at the far end, and bringing him to the surface in his arms. Young Glover was under the impression the boy caught hold of his leg, and he was brought out alive, as ho vomited some food. The instructions for the resuscitation of the apparently drowned are posted in the Baths, and Mr. Glover says that these were followed, but in a short time the boy died. In the meantime the various medical men had been telephoned for, but could not be got. At last Dr. Beale, of Ponsonby Road, was secured, and Mr. Glover despatched a cab to bring him on the scene more speedily. The police were also telephoned for, and a constable and Sergeant McMahon arrived. On Dr. Beale examining the body life was found to be extinct. There appeared to be a black patch on the breast, and the impression is that the boy took cramp so suddenly, or a fit, that ho never was ablo to give an alarm. It was ascertained that deceased was a son of Mr. Sheehan, who has a shop at the corner of Nelson and Morton Streets, but who is at present working as a minor in tho Waihi district, Upper Thames. Mr. Sheehan had only left that day, after the holidays, for Waihi, and a telegram concerning the occurrence was despatched to him. Under the circumstances it was necessary to communicate tho sad tidings to the bereaved mother, who came down to the baths and had the body of her son removed to her residence. At the time of the accident it was dead low water, so that whore the boy was found thero would be about four feet of water. Mr. Glover pays that he employs two boys during the busy season to go round each platform collecting towels and bathing trunks, and to report to him anything unusual which might occur. Ho also visits the baths every quarter of (in hour. An inquest will be held to-day by Dr. Philson, coroner, when no doubt the whole facta will be elicited in connection with tho sad affair.