DROWNED IN POOL

Evening Star, Issue 19801, 27 February 1928, Page 5

DROWNED IN POOL

FATALITY AT WOODHAUGH GARDENS INQUEST HELD The Leith River at the Woodhaugh Gardens was tho scene of a drowning fatality on Saturday afternoon, tho victim being Charles Ferris Cunningham, tho nineteen-year-old sou of Mr John Cunningham, of Palmerston South. Ho was employed at Hudson’s factory, and lived with his sister at 120 Carroll street. The young man was bathing with a friend named Evan Kenneth M'Gillivray at a pool in the Leith near tho George street bridge. Cunningham was suddenly noticed in difficulties, and M £ Gillivray went to his assistance. Cunningham seized M'Gillivray, both sinking though the former let go, M‘Gi!!ivray being able to save himself by clutching ti a lodge. Cunningham did not reach the surface again, and efforts to locate tho body were unsuccessful until Mr Walter Scott Hindmarsh, a Municipal Bath attendant, recovered it about Half an hour after tho fatality. Tho inquest was_ opened at tho morgue this morning, Mr H, AV. Bundle. S.M., sitting as coroner. Sergeant Bolton watched proceedings for the police. Joan Cunningham, of Palmerston South, identified the body as that of his son, who was nineteen years of age and had always enjoyed good health.

Dr Hartv said that he examined the deceased at the Woodhaugh Gardens at 3.35 p.m. on Saturday, and found that the deceased, wire was lying on the bank of the river, had been dead for some time. Artificial respiration was being carried out when witness arrived. From his examination of the bodv witness was of tlie_ opinion that death was due to drowning, and that deceased was probably seized with cramp while swimming. Evan Kenneth M'Gillivrny said that he was with the deceased at the Woodhaugh Gardens on the afternoon of February 25. They were swimming in a pool there, and when deceased and witness had been in tire water about ten minutes tho latter saw that deceased was in difficulties Ho was a poor swimmer. Witness went to his assistance, but deceased grabbed him, the pair struggling for some time. Deceased was only about a yard from the edge of tho pool, which was a small one. Deceased clutched at tho witness and they both sank. After they sank about fifteen feet deceased let him go. AVitneas came up and caught hold of tho ledge, and deceased came up within a foot of tho top of tho water with his head down, after which he went ont of sight. Deceased did not complain of cramp at all while they were in tho water. There wore only the two of them in the pool, which was not the recognised battling pool, but was used a lot, usually being crowded on Saturday afternoons. Mr Smart, who was on the bank, dived several times to try and recover tho body, but failed, it being recovered about half an hour afterwards by Mr Hindmarsh.

Albert Victor Smart, of Oamaru, said that when the deceased entered the water ho complained that' it was very cold. He corroborated the previous witness’s evidence and added that the water was very dirty, mud having been stirred up. Walter Scott Hindtnnrsh, an attendant at the Municipal Baths, said that he was at the Woodhangh Gardens on Saturday afternoon, and when he heard that a man was drowned in the Leith he went across immediately to the scene of the accident. Witness dived in, and after several attempts succeeded in getting the body out. It was lying in a cleft at the bottom of the pool. Artificial respiration was tried and continued until the arrival of Dr Harty. The coroner returned a verdict that deceased was accidentally drowned at the Woodhangh Gardens on February 25, and added that he would mention the desirability of a notice being erected, pointing out the danger of this pool.