TWO CHILDREN DROWNED

Taranaki Daily News, 31 January 1930, Page 8

TWO CHILDREN DROWNED

TRAGEDY NEAR. HAWERA PLAYING WITH TROUGH IN DAM. DEAD WHEN ASSISTANCE ARRIVED A double drowning tragedy occurred at Taiporohenui, Hawera, yesterday, when two young Maori children,- Koroheke Timoti and Howard Pokau, both aged ten years, fell into a dam in a creek, about 8 feet deep, and were found dead. The children, with a number of others, were playing about the banks of th® creek, pushing a six-foot wooden, trough around the edge of the water. It. is stated that Howard clambered into the .trough and one of hi« companions -gave it a push. Timati, when he reached out to pull bock the trough, over’.xtlaneed and capsized it, both children falling headlong into the water, with the trough on top of them. Seeing the pair struggling one Maori boy endeavoured to assist them by pushing out a stick, but they were unable to seize it. Howard Pokau could swim but the other boy could not, and. they appeared to be clinging together. When he was unable' to be of assistance to the drowning children the boy ran about half a mile to Scotty Panenui’s farm and returned with M. and R. Campbell. When they, returned the children could not be located in the.muddy water, and when dther assistance was obtained diving for the bodies was commenced. Howard Pokau’s body was recovered about 1.30 p.m. by his brother Pikau, over an hour after it disappeared, white another half-hour elapsed before th< body of Koroheke Tinfoti was found. Resuscitation methods were applied by some of those present but met with no success. Later Sergeant Henry and Constables Lemin and Mullan arrived and unsuccessfully applied further artificial respiration methods. J Koroheke Timoti wasjthe adopted eon of Dan Whai, and. Howard Pokau’s father is a ‘ farmer in the district. The bodies were removed to the pa at Taiporohenui.-