THE DROWNING CASE AT NEW BRIGHTON.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14888, 30 January 1914, Page 8

THE DROWNING CASE AT NEW BRIGHTON.

BODY RECOVERED. , The body of William George who was drowned in the "safety arej***-- ,- whilst bathing iin tho surf at V2ft£*f Brighton on Monday, was recover©&'«tf"C about 2 o'clock yesterday afternoon Bβ 3 *"'' tho New Brighton eide of the SußiiSPfl Estuary, by Constable Sumner. Tho body vus conveyed '%&ss& tho Christchurch morgue. ■ f %^|s^ THE INQUEST. '' - ; Tho inquest, held at the last evening, was conducted by W. Bishop, District Coroner. 5 * *v^l| James Stuart Morris, brother ceased, said ho was a labourer in Groymouth. Deceased was. yeans of ago and was a tally clerks> had heen to Auckland and stayed jajSf I Christchurch on his way haniey :i>j;^ : f£ ceased could swim a little but fond of bathing. Witness came ; Christchurch on account of the fat*!«|l|s ity. i.' , : ;v;^m> John Fentiman, labourer, belonged to tho Coast. ; He/with-tj»%-fe,f deceased and another man,. 'nanieJ-lffiS Robert Rogers visited Auckland stayed in Christchurch on their, gf , turn. They wont down to= Brighton on Monday last. They"'lefi3?lr town about 1.30 p.m., and on sat on the beach for a while. .TjjayMfc then went to the pier, and got costumes, for deceased and witness.'^l-i Tho two went into the got her. Deceased could swim & little but witness could not. They were aAS the water for about twenty minute* vfS but did not get out of their depth" ■'%s tho water being about half their bodies. There were many other '${- people in tho water farther out they wen*. Deceased and iritneesf'---wero inside . the '.'safety; -area!*'BV ; i? Threo fair-siaed rollers; came in and de- ■•'£s& ceased appeared to be carried inland Witness saw him on top of the.wat«S» as though making V a for tho shore. That wae~ the ?; #& last he saw of deceased. He to him two or three times, but made no anewer. Witness -was then in any danger. ; . - Witness "•»»*?¥# then washed out by the and found ho could not touch He tried to get back but found he was losing ground and was further out. He callod to man who came to his assistance .a&llSls was got ashore. He saw nothing ; % deceased. -.-■'. . ; v^|i The Coroner: Wero.you'all eofer?^Witness: That's a ridiculous qulPfii tion to ask. . • .=. ]'■■ ':■ -^0^ Tho Coroner: You answer th'e qw»i**s tion properly. . ■ .■. \ ■ -(-4*v ; a'f Witness: W© had no drink doriiiffli}! the day. ' " : \?4t*^v ; - Constable Hampton, of gave evidence tlwfc at 2 day. he was informed that a body on tho beach on the New BrieW»aS|!t sido of the estuary. Hβ wentjwiflffvi? Pilot Hinos and brought. the DoiyffoiffJ Sumner and then to the mbrguo.p|ft§ Wz. was lying faco downwarxfe in the*:*wite sixty yards from high water^mar&^SSt Constable Rowe, v of New said that he was on the beach minutes after the occurrence/- ijauiflil everything possible was could be done. - ~^ t !^#; The Coroner returned.a deceased _was accidentally ardwneaSi while-bathing on the New. boach. . . ■ .. --^:■'■'',^ ; -^OM- ■ ——. ■ ■■■ ..-./'.-.'';■ sißi|^ to the jmrroß or "thb pnasa. , '" „ Sir,—-iiie recent drowning accidentals >ew jrfrigaton ua& called forth'the uei&il crop or letters, complaining ana r - : «'-iM plaining, but tnere is no ooubt r as;i»tw ihe iacv—tnat a young man because ,the lile-eaving reel" readily available. Tie rxeaeohi' wliyWil was not available are:—-(1) was locked up; (2) to' ispectator inefli that two keys 'were obtainable atnear*b*ifs residences; (3}.- the fciurf Clnb, .waiiim owns the reel,,is composed, of Teioa%| teers "who ire oiily occasionally'on Hp|| beach—in their spare time. 1 It reflection on the tourf Club membe&twlfi say that the club has proved itself*a%dil Eolutely incapable.of ency such as the one we are distussuig||M The members hav«j devoted a good of time and' enthusiasm in toe ipubltetl interest to life-saving and to successful rescuea, ! . ; and.holidays, and in the' unfortunately, ..people .do ! select these occasions ,on wbichVtoiif drowned. Therefore,' bn*e f '.'caretaie(«itjs !i * ways on the spot is really valuable than 359 members who there when there is mostfor,.their' presence. ■.vAk^to\the : has been suggested that it left on the beach ; .'arid [-{.it-"has "beentlg proved that a. meddlesome public will v|| not allow this to That is very abs-urd, -<>f; v^cotirse—:but ; ;j« very true.. But the Surf 1 , have overcome the ing the reel in the the pier proprietor, and postingittpiS*|?«SS notice to that effect..on Now the practical things lesson is to stop chicking ■,»bbai;^lijK»f?ps : fault it was, and take measures vent a repetition of Ito:fatal^'J3%^gs ; whole difficulty can be appointment of a caretaker, : payment of a subsidy of iIIOQ a New Brighton resident, dertake to be always in readily available, or to stituto, at such times as ho is lievcd" by an official of .the'.Burf ? Some means should also flicting a heavy penalty on any found tampering with the £100 a year is. a very • raise, and I would suggest■.thai l, paid by the New y Councu; and £50 be raised by Club by collections on Sundays' l * l days from visitors to the beach, Sunday collections will, of conrsCj tho usual Wowser howls, but ; eo Joßgt»*||;|| the sixpences roll in and drowning ities are avoided, these can 'be■■igriorea^: ; I suggest that the foregoing sensibio and self-respecting ■'■ ■ meeting the circumstances of the and that it would be much ablo to the general public than' usual method of dealing with-these adopted by the New Brighton Council, namely, meeting in a smeUK £& dark room, and proving^ —to their own satisfaction —such matters as the foi-.--,. lowing:—(1) That tho •;« was not a native or- resident of Bngfr , -.,<£S ton; (2) that most people nang\*™fef Brighton Beach aro not residents >&s$M Brighton; (3) that therefore it does no*;;|||j matter whether they get drowned not, so long as the corps© is foundano :p| carted away soon; (4) that the chanceef;|gi of tho Brighton residents being droiriH}pg ed are small, because there :U»: :B? 6 many of them;, (5) that there' mV>; ;'4g§ natural obligation on the . Borougb: Council to make the Brighton safe or attractive: if other people like the beach, let them stop awaT-froiU:;. it; (G) that if visitors want to sure of not being drowned they new gpf only keep away from the. water that no small boys should to bathe at Brighton unless thebutton of their shoulder-strop w ! g| curely fastened, and. the costume -:f*rX£4s tends strictly from the neck Xα knee; and so on, and so on. «» somethinK practical now.as-I «"«. stop clacking abont wliy we have not done it a -^i ßllO oKi|e