CORONIAL INQUIRY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXII, Issue 19441, 29 October 1925, Page 7

CORONIAL INQUIRY

DROWNING ACCIDENT. BRAVE ACT BY ARAMOIIO LADY. A coronial inquiry was held at the Magistrate’s Court yesterday, before the District Coroner, Air J. J. Pilkington, J.P., concerning the death of Edward Malcolm Benbrook, aged four years. In giving evidence the father said the last time he saw his boy alive was 8.30 on the morning of the accident. Albert Afarks, a labourer, stated that on Tuesday morning, about 11.20, he was working on the Aramoho wharf, when he noticed the body of a boy floating down the river about a yard from his boat. He recovered the body from the river, and handed* it over to the police. Helena Ruth Price, residing at 282 Somme Parade, said that her son, Trevor Price, 4 years of age, was a friend of the deceased. About 10 o’clock on the morning of Tuesday her boy came home crying and said that Teddy had fallen in the deep. She surmised that he had fallen into the river and at once gave the alarm to a Mr Lawrence and a Airs Hunter. Airs Hunter, with commendable courage, dived into the bitterly cold water in the hope of recovering the body, but without success. The police arrived later, and commenced dragging operations. From the time of the accident everything possible was done to recover the body. Sergeant Sivyer, on behalf of the police, paid a tribute to the courage of Afrs Hunter in diving into the river. It was a sad case, but it was highly commendable to see such courage as that displayed by Mrs Hunter. The coroner also eulogised the action of Mrs Hunter in her gallant attempt to recover the body. The matter would probably be brought before the Royal Humane Society.

The coroner’s verdict was “accident ally drowned. 99