BATHING FATALITIES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1686, 1 March 1906, Page 3

BATHING FATALITIES.

THE INQUEST,

A YOUNG HEROINE,

Tho nccoeuary formal proceedings in connection with tho very sad disaster ii tho Waiinwa rivor, by which Vernon Florence Carrie, ugod 11, and Dulcio Lawaon Oairio, aged 11, were drowned, took placo jo3torday uftornoon at tho rosidscoo of tho parents, on tho Kaiti, Tho enquiry was beforo Mr Barton, S.M., Coronor, and tho following jury: Messrs K-pio (foreman), C. Ptosse, 0. Wood, G. Pmckney, F. W. S uitb, and F. 0. Bousoti. Sergeant McKonss o conducted the proceedings for the Folico, and Cooatablo O’Hara was also presout. Henry Currie, contractor, father of tho doonaard, deposed tnat ho had last scon his daughter, Vernon Florence, before sho left homo for school on Tuesday motuing at 9, and ho bad seen Duloie Lawsou about a that aflornoon. Vernon was agrd 14, and Duiciu was aged 1.0, The childron were iu tho habit of bathing in the summer timo, and his ui'e had told him sho had that afternoon given the deceased leave to batho at " ths islaud,” about ha'f a milo fr m the house, whore they had beon in tho habit of going for throe years past in the summer time. After ho had board of tho accident (a few minutes aftor sis) ho went to tho river. Porsons were then starting to drag for tho bodios, Ho was presont whon tho body of Duicio was found. Tho depth at tho spot would bo about twelve foot. That was about 23 p ovening. Ho was also present when tho body of his daughter Vernon wae recovered about midnight. This would be about a chain below whore the ether body was found. The bodies were removed to the house. Tho oldest g-'rl oould ewirn well enough to look aftor hersolf, and Duloie was just ItarniDg, Caroline Winter, wife of Mordaunt Winter, of Kaiti, d: posed that from what her sistos had told her at about 5 o’clock, she believed there was something wron* with the children bathing in tho rivet. She went down to tho spoh above, what e knotfn as tho ' island. She could se( n-thiDg Ibon. Sho called to the and pooplo wont fo. Boforc lo »viDg ho;

bouse she saw two ohildron seeming floating with the stream. She was sight of the river until Bho g"t on to tl road, and whin blio roaohed ilio river tl children had disappeared Her boy (ag< 13) reached the river in front cf her, nr told her ho had just scon tho head of or child and had thrown u heard out to then When she saw tho cbildron sbo hoar screaming. Tho foioman: Did you notioo wba position they wero in Witutsi : A'l I thought of was to gc down. I was too txcitod to notieo such. Tho hr.man : I thought jou rnigbl have boon nblo to toll whether one was trying to save tho o'her. Wiiness : No, I could not say that, but my sisfo”, who is not well enough to bo ercsent, told mo that sbo saw one child tarrying tho oilier. My son rin gup the lolico informing them ot tho occurrence. Arthur Liuis Win'rr, a schoolboy, do io-od that he had gene homo from sohool, ,od his aunt running in and saying thivo ras someone in dilliculty in tbo water ho al run down to a spet about fifty yords boro Ibeieliod. When leaving the house o saw someone's head abovo the waior io eo river. lie saw the head sink and rise ireo or four times until he got to the auk, when tho girl had her face under ater. lie did not know the Bislors urrie. Tho body was being carried up o river by tho tidal ourrent. Ho was osont whon tho body of Duloio was to ivered. Tho body wai found a littlo rtbor up tho river than where he suv it ik. Ho be'ievid t iero was a dopth of iout 15 foot where ho saw tho body first, o heard children on tho river bank r'okiog aid suv them ruming aloig. a did not hear any souad from the -mldion ia tho water. Tho foreman : How far was tho body from tho shore V It was close to it —about sh’yords. You throw in a p'ank —Yes. What was your object;’-So that tho girl could ca'ch hold of it. Can you swim —No. Do you think tho body firit recovered was tho oco you !a>t saw Witness : Yes. Tho Coroner: That is only a surmise, Io reply to further questions witness said the children ho had soon running away W'c.o all young. Juryman : Wero thoro cot some boys tbaro boforo Witno3s: Yos, some boys wore looking on from tho bhnk, but had left before tho girls got into difficulties. Sergeant McKenzie said there were two sistors of the deceased, one aged eight and tho other 12, who had been present ; they could be called if the jury wished, but ho himself would prefer not to oall thorn, as they were members of the bereaved family, and ho did cot think the evidence would bo loquired. Tho jury agreed that it would cause unnecessary pain to ca'l on the children to give evidence. Constable O'Hara gave evidenco as to search and tho finding of the first body, that of Dulcie. Tho Coronor said Ihat ho did not think tho jury would have aDjr in arriving at a decisios. It was a ease of pure accident in which no oco was to blamo.

Tho jury et ores retumel with a verdiet that the deceased had been accidmt ally drowued while bathirg in the Wai mata rivor, and aided: *■ Tho jury desire to expresr their eympitby with tho parents of tho deceased” His Worship : I quito concur with the expression of sympathy. Is we.s a very sad affair indeed. A juryman suggested that at Iho deep and dangerous places in the river notices should be put up and 1 fe lines provided. His Worship raid that no doubt this sad affair would cause children to bo prevented from geing bathing un'oes accompanied by some responsible person. A jureman poirted out that tho placs where the chi'dren went in was not dangoroue.

His Worship : I supporo that depends on the scute cf the tide. A juryman said that whore they went in was sife enough, but there were holes a short distance along. One had beeD described as unfathomable, and the depth was supposed to be about 25ft.