APATHY OF CROWD CRITICIZED

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 191, 9 May 1940, Page 10

APATHY OF CROWD CRITICIZED

Inquest On Victim Of Drowning SURF CLUB’S LACK OF FINANCE Coroner Suggests Help By Local Body (By Telegraph—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, May 8. “It is apparent that surf clubs, while desiring to do all they can to save lives, are seriously hampered by lack of finance, and it is unusual, if not something more, that there is not more help given to them by the local body that benefits by the crowds which go to the beach,’’ said Mr. Levvey, S.M., coroner, when an inquest was held into the death of James Clifford Blogg, who, it was found, was accidentally drowned at New Brighton on January 28. “I give all credit, indeed praise, to two young men who went out in lite bad sea to help, and it is indeed satis fying to know we have youths who are ready and willing to do that,” said Mr. Levvey, “but it is a lamentable thing, and very hard to understand, that no attempt was made by the crowd ou the pier, some of whom must have known what was going ou, to make a more urgent effort to give assistance,” he concluded, before giving a verdict of accidental drowning.

Tire inquest was held under a special dispensation from the AttorneyGeneral, failing production of the body. Blogg was a son, aged 16, of Mr. and Mrs. S. Blogg, Beckenham. Boy’s Evidence. Desmond Sinclair, aged 15, who went to the beach with Blogg, said that he gave him a surf board, and Blogg said: “I’m going out to catch some decent breakers.” Witness later saw Blogg being helped by two men, but one of these got into difficulties himself. Noel Dunn, a boy who was fishing from the pier, said that lie saw Blogg in difficulties some distance from the pier, but no one on the pier did anything to help, though there was a crowd watching at lite rail. Allen Matthew Hannah, who was fishing with Dunn, said he went on Dunn’s bicycle to call the life-savers. Alfred Boyce Bacon, instructor of the New Brighton Life Saving Club, said that, when given a rather vague message by a boy (not Hannah, but another, whom Hannah had shouted to) he went out into the breakers near the pier, and, after swimming through the pier and, receiving no instructions from the crowd, he spoke to the only swimmer lie could see, who was all right and able to swim ashore. Witness, presuming that this was the swimmer referred to in the message given to him, then swam ashore and returned to the club. The point at which the drowning accident occurred would be outside the marked safety zone, Bacon said, and •the tide at tlie time was on the.make. It was a bad sea for the beginner that day. Life Might Have Been Saved. Witness said that if the lifesavers had been notified more promptly the tragedy might have been averted. He was in the breakers within half a minute of being told that help was needed.

Questioned 'by the coroner, Bacon said that it was not possible to lo anything in this case, as notice ha'd not been given immediately. There was no system of communication at present between the end of the pier and the club pavilion, but tlie committee was considering something in the way of an electric bell. ■When .Mr. Levvey asked whether a system on tlie fire alarm principle with a bell in the pavilion would be practicable, Bacon replied: "Oh, it’s all a matter of finance. We haven't got very much money.” Franking Fielding, aged 21, gave evidence that he went with a friend, called Jack Blight, to Blogg’s assistance, but was unsuccessful. Police Sergeant J. Mclntosh said that the beach had been regularly patrolled since the accident and the only body washed up was that of a victim of a later accident. "The trouble was with the people on the pier,” said Sergeant Mclntosh.