CHILD'S DEATH PAINTS MORAL

Chronicle (Levin), 10 April 1947, Page 5

CHILD'S DEATH PAINTS MORAL

AUCKLAND, April 9. The fact that it was more safe, especially when there were children around, to disconnect all eleetrical ap pliances after switching them off, was stressed by the Coronet', Mr. A. Addison, when endorsing remarks of a wjtness at an iuquest into the deatli of a two-year-old child, Ivevin Leon Blay mires. The accident. which caused the child 's death happened at his home al Takapuna on December 2(1. Evidence was given by William Blaymires, fathdr of the child, that he was vvorking at the sinlc in the kitchen oi his home when he heard his son, who was playing on a wooden seat on Ihe wall behind Uim, fall. He looked round and picked up the ehild who was then lying rigid on the seat. Jle feli a tingjing sensation and noticed Ihe boy was holding the end of a piece o\ tlex in his right Irnnd and that the switc.lt W\is on, He turned tjie switch off and took tlie child into the dining room and applied artiffcial respiration Dr. Coombes, who was called to the house, also tried to revive the child without success, he stated. He noticed two deep electric burns«Qn the palm oi Ihe right hand and two smaller burns on tlie lingers of the left hand. The (Retribution engineer of the State Ilydro-Electric Department, Mr. Oscaa' Chamberlain, said he inspected the flex witli which the accident oecur red and found it a sound and whole connection free from eleetrical hazard It was his qpinion that the child had stood 011 the seat, grasped the earthing type adaptor iirmly in his right hand and had turned on tlie switcli . in an effort to pull out tlie three-pin- plug which connected the flex to the power. He had apparently got his fingers down the back of the plug until they had touched the contaet prongs. "The fatality is a. particularly unfortunate one as it oceurred with an installation that was eleetrical!) sound," said Mr. Chamberlain, "hui it points to a desirability where young children are concevned, of cojnpletely disconnecting applianees when not in use rather tlian leaving them plugged in but switehed off." A verdiet was returned in accorcj ance with the medica! eyidence, thal the child died from accidental electro eution.