BOY'S GALLANT DEATH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15824, 22 January 1915, Page 4

BOY'S GALLANT DEATH.

* -r rt >*7#[ ATTEMPT TO SAVE OTHER ANOTHER LADS BRAVEEy POINT CHEVALIER FATALm a ~ {^f..:.'.\\ ' Reference to the bravery of one of & boy.'i concerned in the sad boating Jllll off Preston's Beach, Point Wednesday, was made bv the '** Mr. E. C. Cutten, S.M., at tbelgg ' held yesterday concerning the de~tk " Raymond Preston, 15 years of a «-e : of Mr. James Preston,'of Dominion L** In addition Mr. Cutten decided t a letter to the boy praising him <***B conduct. r|s*3jf In company with his brothers, G ~" and James, aged nine years and f years respectively, his cousin Jack** 5 I Treston Lay bourn, aged 13. the dec 1! * was in a dinghy when it filled and 1 leaving the five boys struggling jj*? l •'. ■ water. The story was retold at tiequest, when the first witness ''CJpt Treston Laybourn. He said that Jam**!!. Gordon Preston could not swim, bnt S rest of the party could. He caught hS of Gordon, but he could not, keep'V up. and then Raymond took chafe of ft!' boy. He secured the oars and gave ftT mond and Gordon one. while he '"' to the shore with the help of the other?- •'' The story was continued by Jack Pw£ : M ton, who said that holding upyyej e , '* boys was too great a task for RavmoM ' K He saw him go under, and did not a^." V see him. j "I got hold of James Preston," he cobtinued. "end took him to the oar wVi. Treston Laybourn brought me. WK» Gordor was going under, I just manage! ' to "grip him by the collar. I held ],_,-". with one hand until a beat came i<u got us in. I was all right when rescurf ' but James and Gordon Preston Wers moaning." - m Further evidence was given by Edgar Preston, who witnessed the upsetting <{ r the boat. He rowed out to the resca and found Jack Preston holding Jam* - and Gordon. Both the latter boys vn right under the water. They seemed-to be unconscious, and wer e hardly breaUaV when he got them into the boat '~- I A verdict was returned that Raymond Preston died from drowning while' en- - ■ deavouring to save his two jiwfiellf; brothers. " The little boy Jack Preston " said the coroner, "deserves an especial word of commendation. He is only m years of age, and rather small for his at but due 'to his bravery and intelfigeare the lives of two other boys were saved. 'i Although these boys were not mad, smaller than himself, he succeeded:?aJ?f keeping hold of loth of them, and wo. ported them until they were rescued StS a boat from the shore." " ■ ■*' l .'