TRAGIC ACCIDENT

Opunake Times, 8 December 1931, Page 2

TRAGIC ACCIDENT

CHILD'S SAD FATE. DROWNED.IN A WELL. Gloom was oast over the town of Opunake on Saturday when news came that a three-year-old child of Mr. and Mus. G. Dines had met his death by drowning. Apparently the child, who had only been missed a short whilewas playing near the well and overbalanced. The father, who had gone to the well to draw some water was ho first to discover the tragedy withe saw the child's body floating on the surface of the water. Help was soon forthcoming and Mr. Jenkins and Mr James were soon on the scene. Mr. James descended into the well and brought the body up to the top. Judging by the condition of the body the child was already dead. Drs. Griffin and Watt were summoned immediately and worked on the child for some time but resuscitation failed and life was pronounced extinct. The body was removed to the morgue. Deepest sympathy is extended to Mr. and Mrs. Dines in their sad loss. THE INQUEST. CORONER'S INQUIRY. -

The inquest upon Eric Dines, the 2£ year-old child of Mr. and Mrs. Dines who met his death by drowning was held at the Opunake Courthouse on Monday when Mr. R. S. Sage, the coroner, conducted the inquiry. Mr. George Dines, the father of the child, said that he was a labourer, residing at La-yard Street, Opunake, and wbs the father of the deceased child. He said that he eaw the child on Saturday between the hours of two and half-past two. He was then in the house and eventually went outside about three quarters of an-hour afterwards, to draw water fnoan an open well, near the house, which was covered with a email piece of corrugated iron. He kicked aside the iron as he was accustomed to do and on looking down the well he saw something in the darkness, which he thought was a bag and »s he dropped and tipped the bucket this seemed to touch .something heavier than if it was rubbish floating. He then looked closer and pulled the tin up and saw thai it appeared to be a body. Immediately he looked round and missed the child. He sent a girl, Myrtle, sister of the deceased for the constable and rushed away for a ladder. He hud the assistance of several people to recover the body. Walter James descended the ladder and raised the body from the water. Several of the helpers tried to resuscitate the child until the doctor arrived but all means taken failed and finally the doctor pronounced life to be extinct. Deceased was about 2 years and 8 months of age. The father said that he could offer no explanation how the child came to fall, into the well, and that some of the children were playing on the road in front of the house and the only supposition he could make Avas that the child had lifted the piece of iron and had fallen in, the iron falling back again over the opening.

He added that the property belonged to James Ritson and there were three tenannts on the section all using the same well. He had no reason to believe that the child was drowned other than accidentally >and he considered the well dangerous in its present open state. To the coroner the father said that he knew some of the other children were playing in fiont of the house for when he went out to get some Water the children were visible in front of the house and when.the child last spoke to him same of the children were inside and some were outside. To oldest child that was there, was ten years old and called George and the boy . was still there when he went out. Dr. Griffin said in his evidence that en Saturday, the sth inst., at about 3 p.m. he proceeded to the house of Mr. Dines in response to an urgentcall. When he arrived, he found several people present who Mere endeavouring to resuscitate a child. He was told the child had fallen clown a well and no one seemed to know how long he had been in the water. He carried oiit artificial respiration with the assistance of Dr. Watt for about half an hour and also administered injections but without result. The child was apparently dead when he firsf saw him. There was no evidence of external injury or fractures. The body gave all indications of drowning.

Elizabeth Dines, mother of the child gave evidence as follows: She wa,s the wife of the previous witness, George Dines; and was at home all the afternoon on Saturday. She had heard what her husband had said and believed all that to be true. She could offer no explanation how the child got into the well. The children were not accustomed to play near it and were warned to keep away from it. She had no reason to believe that the child got into the well otherwise than by accident. If any of the children had seen the accident she. was quite satisfied that they would have come and told her. To the Coroner she •said that she was in the kitchen all the afternoon and there were some visitors with her. They were there about an hour but had left and the child was at the back door when they went. She went inside again and began work. Her husband was sitting in the room all the time Heading the paper. None of the children came into the room -during that time. She saw her husband go out to get some water but she did not fix upon the hour and that she heard her husband call out "Where's Eric?" and she ran outside to see Avhat was wrong. The Verdict. The child, Eric Dines, was discovered drowned in a well near the residence of his people at Opunake on jSaturdo/y, December the 6th, 1931. The evidence adduced does not indicate how the child came to fall into the well, but there is no indication of any other cause than accidental. As the well in its present .state may be the cause of further injury, to small children, it should be covered securely immediately.