BROWNING FATALITY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2410, 27 January 1909, Page 4

BROWNING FATALITY.

YOUNG LADY DROWNED IN TEE SWI AIMING BATHS.

An extremely sad drowning fatality occurred about noon yesterday in the school swimming baths, the victim being AlLss Dora Alice Griffin, the second daughter of Rev. Chas. C. Griffin, Wesleyan clergyman. The news spread rapidly, and there was a general feeling of consternation and. . horror that such a fatality should, have occurred right in the midst of the town and with numbers of people within easy reach to give assistance had they known of the tragedy that, was being enacted so close at hand.

The deceased young lady was employed by Alessrs T. and J. Dalrymp-Ie and left her work at 11.45 a.in. yesterday in order to go for a swim m company with her mother and her ■ elder sister. Alxss Elsie Griffin, who s at proseiy; spending a holiday with her parents. The trio proceeded the school bath and Airs. Griffin fr-tS, off her shoes and stockings aud was paddling in the shallow water, when Miss Dora, who was the first of the two sisters to be ready to enthj| the water, called out to her inquir.-ag if the witter was cold. Airs. Giffiin iepSied that it was not. and ok-s I.* m immediately dived in, and on comuig to the surface exclaimed Oh. mother it is cold." Aliss Elsie was at the time just preparing to i»low her sister into the water, when .-lie heard her give a gasping cry a id -saw her struggling with her body mum- the, water mid her arms outs: retoiieqr

above the surface. Miss L.sie atonce rushed into the water, but her sister had disappeared -.ltagetner by this time and she was unable tc> rcr-ch her. Airs. Griffin, fully clad, aho waded in almost out of her depth in an endeavor to rescue her drowning daughter, but her efforts were _ also unavailing. The cries of the lacies attracted attention, and three ; oaug men, Alessrs Davis, Jlavton, __ and Stuckey, rushed to the scene, ilieir first work was to help Airs. G tim and Aliss Elsie out of ine tliev were quite exhausted by their •attempts to reach the unravtanate girl, whose body could be sent lying face downwards in a little over sft of water. Attempts were mHe to recover the girl by diving, but they wore unsuccessful. and t-vontoaJy poles had to be called mto requisition, and by this means the body was brought to the surface, after .having been submerged for about t Hht minutes. _ . , In the meantime medical aid gw,a , been summoned, and Dr. Gerard j Smith arrived, followed shortly afterwards by Drs. Hoove and 5) usoit. These gentlemen used every effort to restore animation for long beyond the usual time, but in vain, and their work was reluctantly abandoned, and life wus pronounced to bo. extinct. The body was removed to the Mosley an parsonage, and an inquest- wnbo held there this morning at 11-oU o’clock. 0 , The deceased young lady was ~o years of >age, and had been in veto indifferent health for a long tune. She met with a. serious accident some years ago and had to go to Auckland for medical treatment. Since that, time she lias really never properly uncovered her normal health, and recently was obliged to absent liersen •from her employment owing *to rail ess.k It is also stated that _ she was occasionally subject to fainting seizures. The- immediate cause of death is given by one of the meuicaL men as drowning, but it is thought t-lfat the shock of entering the water brought on a fainting fit or seizure o some kind, and that she was poweileSs to help herself, although she "‘is a strong swimmer. . Tlio bath is not considered to oo n any way dangerous, as the slope to the deeper end is very gradual, on there are no lifebelts or ropes in readiness for any such emergency as occurred yesterday, and at- tlio time that the Vitality took place . r. is understood that the three ladies were the sole occupants of the batn, no person being there in charge. A great deal of sympathy is with the bereaved parents, and many messages off condolence have beettvl forwarded to them from their mwfcy friends in the district. The interment, which will be of a private nature, takes plaeo this afternoon.