Danger Revealed

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 6, 22 January 1937, Page 5

Danger Revealed

RUBBER RAFTS

Warning Against Use By Those Unable to Swim LOSS OF BOY'S LIFE The danger of permitting small children who were not escorted by an adult to use the surfopfanes which have become popular on the Napier beaches, was commented upon by Mr J. Miller, S.M., coroner, at the resumed inquiry into the death of Laurie Bruce McRae at the Napier Courthouse this morning. The coroner directed Sergeant J. Carmody, who conducted the proceedings, to see that the attention of the beach authorities was drawn to the matter, in order to see that young children not escorted by a competent person should not be allowed the use of them. In delivering a verdict of death by accidental drowning while bathing, Mr Miller expressed his sympathy with the parente in the case. "It is my duty to make some remarks regarding the surfoplanes," he continued. "This is a new plaything, and in this case it has revealed what has been a latent danger. To the present tiine it was a latent oue, and I cannot attach blame to anyone, and I know that now the - mauager of Joylands without the necessity for any by-law, will see that young children are not supplied with tliem. "The beaches are becoming very popular, and there may be a possibility of other cases in the future. The deceased's brotber, Allan Douglas McEae, aged 12, said in evidence that he aceoiupanied Laurie to Westshore for a bathe and when they got there they hired two inflated rubber rafts. After playing about in the water all morning, Allan 's brother was on a raft which drifted off shore before the westerly wind. "I told him to lean over and kick his feet," Allan continued. "I can swim, but Laurie couldn't, and I went out to help him. Then a wave caught him and tipped him off the raft. I called for help and a man eame and took me out of tha water. I told him when I got in that my brother was out in the surf and was drowning. Some other men went out to got him and I was taken along to the band rotunda. Mrs Mason tooK. me to her house, where I was warmed up. The doctor injected something into my arm to put me to sleep. My mother was with us and gave us the money to hire the rafts." Dr. G. E. Waterworth, of Napier, said that he was called to Westshore at 2.15 ou the day of the fatality to attend

the elder boy first. He was suffering from shock, and the younger boy had uot then been located. When he left the beach witness left an injection of strychnine with Mrs Apted, giving her instructions what to do when the body was recovered. "I knew that there was uo chance for him as death occurs within two to four minutes after immersion," he added. "I had been there Ihree-quarters of an hour. I was called back at 3.15 and found that the boy had been recovered. He had had the injection, and proper artificial respiration was being cariied out by the nurse and others. The cause Of death was drowning. Frank Frederick Wilcoxon, manager of the Joylands Tea Kioslt, said that he catered for beaeh amusements by hiring out surfoplanes. Wednesday was not a busy lay, and there was no one in charge of the surfoplanes. On that uay there were never more than a dozen out at one time. The sea was cairn, and in the afternoon the wind veered to a land breeze that was not very strong. Witness did not remember hiring tho 'planes to either of the two boys, and had not considered it necessary to exercise any discretion in the hiring out of the surfoplanes, which were supposed to be a safety applianee. At about 1.30 he noticed a red imd a yellow plaue floating away to sea, but did not, realiso that there had been an accident, as this had occurred before. Shortly after, a woman said that. a small girl had been pulled out of the water. Further in* vestigation showed that it was a boy, and although those on the beach wero uot sure, they thought that there was someone elfie in the water. William Alfred George Apted, of 67 Vigor Brown street, Napier, employed as an exehange clerk, said that on Wednesday he was on the Westshore beaeh with his wife, when he saw two surfoplanes floating awa y to sea. Witnes3 went to retrieve them, but saw they were too far away, and was abont to return when he heard that there was a boy in the sea. Witness entered the water, and then saw the boy, who was struggling. A second man leached thc boy just ahead of witness, grasped the

boy and handed him to witness. The boy said that his brother had sunk. The wife of witness, a nurse, took charge of the boy while the two men went back into the surf. They did not know in whieh direction the boy had sunk, and could not see him. There were no rowlocks in a boat on fhe beach, and it could not be used. The body was eventually found quite close to the shore. Evidence tliat he had proceeded to Westshore immediately he reeeived a message to the effeet that a drowning had occurred was given by Constable J. Williamson. He organised a dragging party and assisted in the seareh. At 3.10 p.m., the body was recovered. Mrs Apted supervised artificial respiration, which was given up when Dr. Waterworth pronounced life extinct.