UNUSUAL ACCIDENTS

Southland Times, Issue 19395, 8 November 1924, Page 8

UNUSUAL ACCIDENTS

CAUGHT UP ON A ROOF. SCHOOL BOY’S UNFORTUNATE PLIGHT. . (Per United Press Association). GISBORNE, November o. To be missing for about 31 hours, to have a big army of searchers out patrolling the district, and then to be found securely caught in the roof of a fowlhouse 200 yards from home was the remarkable experience that befel an 11 year old schoolboy named Robert Hadwen son of Captain Hadwen of the tug Tawera. The family live at Mangapapa, a suburb of Gisborne, on a property adjacent to the Cook Hospital and the parents supply eggs from their poultry farm to that institution, gaining access by means of a path at the end of their property. Yesterday morning Robert Hadwen, with his elder brother and sister set out for school, taking the usual basket of eggs to leave at the Institution. Robert Hadwen was carrying the eggs; about half way to the Institution his elder brother sent Robert back to get his (Robert’s) overcoat, as the weather was showery. Robert went back and the elder brother and sister went on to school. Somewhat to their surprise Robert did not turn up at school, and on their arrival home about 3.30 p.m. the girl asked what was wrong. The mother made enquiries and communicated with the police and soon several parties were out scouring the district. Last night heavy rain fell, but despite the weather conditions the parties continued the search, but with no success. Others replaced the voluntary helpers this morning and a party of school lads from Mangapapa school were taken out by the headmaster. Shortly after one o’clock, the mother saw the boy’s unele, Mr George Brown returning towards the house with the lad on his back. The uncle stated that he saw a clump of manuka trees in one of the fowlruns, which he in a gully and are covered with manuka scrub to keep the sun and rain from the birds. To his surprise he found Robert hanging downwards with his head and chest in the fowlrun, his head being some 12 feet above the ground. The boy’s lips were black, and swollen almost double the usual size. From a few words gathered from the lad some hours later, it appears that rain came on and he went to take shelter at the end of the fowlrun behind a tree, but slipped on the top of the fowl yard and was firmly caught. The fowls were fed in the fowlhouse some few yards away last night and this morning, and he could just see the fowls being led and could hear voices calling, but could neither make a movement nor speak. The lad is now suffering from exposure, and cannot talk more than a few words, but his condition is not considered serious.