TOKOMARU DROWNING

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17180, 10 February 1930, Page 6

TOKOMARU DROWNING

INQUEST ON MR. RAMPTON

(Herald Correspondent.) On Saturday afternoon an ir»M»t was held at T&ru Bay m the body ot Cecil Jack Hampton, who was diottnrd acting-Coroner and Constable D. Watden foproHonted the BPUce- , The jury consist*.! of Messrs. it G. BwneU, forenmn, B. E. Ramsey, J. Moody, and » G. Yeoman. . ~ n . Before opening the inquest Mr. Do g expressed bis sympathy with the relatives of the deceased. n.n.los The first witness was Frank w»r»B Little, an exchange clerk at the ioitomaru Bay Post Office who state.! that k about 11 a.m. on January 30 ho was bathing on.the beach off Ungarnro with the deceased and Douglas Burnett, also exchange clerks. They were swimming for about a quarter of an hour. When out, beyond the breakers he heard deceased 'call "Charlie" three time*. Unable to make Burnett hear, witness swam towards Hampton, and when hallway out advised him to float, hut deceased said he could not. When he arrived within a few feet a big wave came over, and he saw the deceased no „,ure. He waited a minute or two, and Idling himself pecompig exhaus ed made for the shore, where he collapsed n tvbont a foot of water. He remembered no more, and' did not know who pulled him out. He always thought deceased was a good swimmer, but had never seen him swim any distance. I lie sea was calm when they went in, b||t " was a bit rough outside the breakers, and there was a-strang undertow. Deceased, when lie called out, was stnigKline hard 1 and seemed terror-stricken He had seen the body that morning and identified it as that of Jack RamtfOT. Douglas John Burnett gave evidence fla to having been swimming with decked and Charles Little .When they '.had been in some time tyttle advised 'him to get inshore, as there was an on-

dertow. When ho saw Little and deceased apparently in difficulties he ran to the bach in which tliey lived for assistance. On his return he found Little lying in the water and pulled him ashore. College Collier's evidence was to the effect that when going to work on Saturday morning he had seen the body on the beach a short distance from the Te Puka hotel. He went back to bis home and telephoned the police. Constable Walden gave formal evidence as to the finding of the body and identification. Tho jury found that tin* deceased raiue. In his dealb by drowning. They highly commended the action nf Little and Rnrnett, and especially Little, who went to the assistance of deceased at the risk of his own life. A rider was added that it be a recommendation to the responsible authority that notices should \>e erected drawing attention to the danger of bathing on certain portions nf the Leach.