DROWNING ACCIDENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20521, 24 March 1930, Page 8

DROWNING ACCIDENTS.

TWO BOYS LOSE LIVES. FATALITIES IN AUCKLAND. ONE LAD FALLS INTO DAM. OTHER VICTIM FOUND IN SEA. Two boys lost their lives by drowning in Auckland during the week-end. Although the bodies were recovered promptly in each case attempts at resuscitation were unsuccessful. The first accident occurred at Chelsea on Saturday morning, when Raymond William Charles Moon, aged 9, fell into the dam at the Colonial Sugar Refining Company's works. The boy, who was accompanied by a younger brother, aged 7, and two friends, aged 9 and 8 respectively, had taken lunch to his father, Mr. William Moon, an employee of the company. The four boys were returning along a narrow pathway which skirts the edge of the dam, and stopped to throw some bamboo sticks into the water. One of the sticks was fairly close to the edge, and in endeavouring to reach it the deceased fell into the water, pulling his younger brother in with him. One Boy Struggles Ashore. The latter struggled ashore and the alarm was given by one of the other boys. An employee of the company, Mr. Toko Haora, dived into the water and recovered the body from the bottom of the dam about 15 minutes after the accident. Artificial respiration was applied and a doctor was summoned. After his arrival attempts at resuscitation were carried on for a long time, but they were unsuccessful.

An inquest was opened at Birkenhead yesterday by the coroner, Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M. The father of deceased said the boy was able to swim, and must have struck his head on the rocks to have sunk so rapidly. A verdict of accidental death was returned.

The second accident occurred near the Akarana Yacht Club's building in Mechanics' Bay at about three o'clock yesterday -afternoon. The .body of Geoffrey Bruce Neville, aged 7 years, was recovered from the water near the breastwork which runs from tho eastern tide deflector toward Luna Park, and although the services of two doctors were obtained efforts at resuscitation were unsuccessful. No One Sees Accident. The boy had been fishing with his two older brothers from a ledge between the wooden piles of the breastwork. After fishing for a short time from this place the other two boys removed to a position on the rocks of the tide deflector and invited Geoffrey to accompany them. He declined to go, and when they called out to him a few minutes later he replied that he was all right where he was. Shortly afterwards Mr. T. Stilton, a member of the Akarana Club, who was returning in a dinghy from a row in the harbour, noticed the boy's body on a ledge about 2ft. under the water, and brought it to the shore. The boy's father, Mr. James Neville, is an employee of the Railways Department, and resides at 15, Balfour Road, Parnell. 'FATALITY AT RAGLAN. VISITOR FROM WANGANUI, « MAN MISSING FOR WEEK. [BI TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.]' HAMILTON. Sunday. The body of the late Mr. Herbert Grilling, who had been missing from his brother's cottage at Raglan for a week, was recovered near the Raglan Heads yesterday. He had been drowned. Deceased, who was a married -man 60 years of age, belonged to Wanganui. He had been spending a holiday at Raglan. The funeral, which was held in Hamilton to-day, was largely attended. YOUNG .WOMAN LOSES LIFE. SWIMMING IN POND* [BY telegraph—press association.] DUNEDIN, Sunday. A young woman, Mavis McAlister, was drowned while swimming in a pond at Whare Flat at about 1.30 p.m. to-day. She was 26 years of age and lived at Roslyn. WOMAN'S BODY IN STREAM. IDENTITY NOT ESTABLISHED. [BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] CHRISTCHURCH. Sunday. The body of a woman, about 60 years of age, was found in the Wairarapa Stream, a tributary of the Avon, this morning. So far it has not been identified.