Distressing Case of Drowning.

Otago Witness, Issue 1582, 18 March 1882, Page 24

Distressing Case of Drowning.

A very distressing circumstance occurred Tsays the Olutha Leader) at Inch-Olutha on Saturday last, which it is now almost beyond doubt has termiuated fatally. It appears a number of boys resident on the Island have been in the habit of crossing to what is known as Rabbit Island, on the Koau branch, to hunt for rabbits. The channel between Inch-Olutha and this island is narrow, and at places very shallow, and no danger was ever anticipated from boys wading it. About 1 o'clock on Saturday, a little boy named Peter Lawson, aged nine years, third son of Mr Peter Lawson, settler, obtained his father's permission to go to the island, and shortly afterwards left the house, a dog, which was almost his constant companionj accompanying him. In about an hour afterwards the dog returned in great haste, all wet, and went up whining to the boy's brother. The strange conduct on the part of the dog awakened some anxiety. Steps were at once taken to ascertain as to the safety of the boy. The inhabitants of InchClutha, Stirling, &c. turned out on Sunday, and, assisted by the police, dragged the river and searched every place where it was deemed possible he might have gone, but without result. The whole circumstances point to his having gone to the river, and in all probability he had got into one of the holes that abound in' the channel referred to, and been carried away by 'the current. [When going to press we heard that the body had been found in a lagoon.]