KAPONGA FATALITY.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 27 November 1924, Page 4

KAPONGA FATALITY.

FURTHER EVIDENCE. At Kaponga yesterday Mr J. E. Anderson, J.P., conducted a colonial inquiry into a drowning fatality av Kaponga on Monday, which resulted in the death of Edmund John Albon, who was drowned in the Kaupokonui river on Monday evening. Further evidence was given as follows : ' Leonard George Pascoe, 16 years of age, residing with" his parents at Kaponga, gave evidence that at about 5.30 p.m. he- went fishing in the Kaupokoinii river at Kaponga, and starting by Scanlon’s stables, worked up as far as the dam, where he saw deceased coming across the paddock on a bicycle. Witness had spoken to the deceased, who had stopped at the dam, and after waiting for two other garage employees who failed to appear, had undressed and began paddling in the water. At this time witness got into a small boat and rowed across the dam to the islet; on .reaching which he looked round and saw deceased throw up his arms and disappear below the surface. Witness then pulled into the bank and dived in where he had seen deceased go tinder, but could find no trace of him. Witness was fully clothed when lie dived in. He did not hear deceased cry out, and considered that as he was only. 50 yards away he would have heard a cry it one had been given. As lie had- unsuccessfully tried to touch the bottom at the place where he had seen deceased disappear he knew the hater was deep in that spot; Witness hatr been told by deceased that the latter had just learned to swim, but that he had ’ once swum right across the dann Witness had never been swimming with deceased. In reply to the coroner (Mr A. E. Anderson, J.P.), witness said he had often swum in the dam, and he considered that where deceased had tried to swim across the current was strong. There' would be no danger to a. swimmer provided he swam direct towards the islet. When he realised' that he could not find the deceased unaided, he went for assistance aiid met Constable O’Donoghueafc Fraser’s butcher shop. He had not passed anyone, on the way. Lawrence Des Forges, . schoolteacher at Mangatoki, residing .at Kaponga, said that shortly after 6 p.m. on Monday, 24th instl, he was. at tea, when a boy arrived to say r ‘ that someone was drowning in the dam. Followed by Messrs Tatersall and Fergusdn, he had at once gone to the dam. HA could see no sign of anyone y in the water from the bank, and before entering the water had divested himself of his clothing as he realised his clotheswould make diving difficult. He then got into the boat and went to the spot where deceased had last beien seen, aiid gfter searching he saw the body.. He dived in and conveyed the body to the bank, wheire artificial respiration had been applied until the arrival of the doctor. Where the body Was found, witness considered there was about ten feet of water. Where the body had disappeared the depth would be about seven or eight feet. In the opinion of witness the place was not dangerous to good swimmers, but was dangerous to beginners. Giving evidence, Constable O’Donoghue said that at 6.15 p.m. on Monday, 24th inst., he was in front of" Frasetr’s butcher’s shop when the boy Pascoe had run up to say that the boy Albon was drowned at the dam. Accompanied by Mr Fraser, witness had, immediately gone. to the dam, and . the boy Pascoe had indicated the spot where, he had last seen deceased. A search had been made,' and after a. short time Mr Des Forges had arrived and assisted. Eventually ,Mr Des Farges recovered the body a few yards away from the spot indicated by Pascoe, and brought it to the bank, where artificial respiration had been applied until the doctor arrived, but without success. Witness thought there would be fully ten feet of water at the spot where’ the body had been found. He had never swurii in the dani, but. thought it would he quite safe for swimmers. Dir. M. M. Hocken, Kaponga., said that he had been called to the dam on Monday, 24th, and had arrived there at about 6.40 p.m. He found'the body of a, boy quite dead. With-the assistance of Constable O’Donoghue and Mr A. Melville, he had tried artificial respiration, but without any results at all. The. body bore no marks whatever, and was that of a perfectly fit and welldeveloped boy. Death was certainly due to asphyxiation bv drowning. Answering the’foreman' (Mr W. G. Cran), Dr. Hocken said it- would not lie possible to say whether or not the boy had had an atack of cramp prior to drowning. This concluded the evidence.