A SAD FATALITY.

Hokitika Guardian, 29 October 1917, Page 4

A SAD FATALITY.

LITTLE BOY DROWNED.

A young child son of Air. and-Mrs. V W. H. Clihbiu, residing a’t the Occidental Hotel, was drowned on Saturday afternoon in the backwater behind the protection wa-ll of the Hokitika, river below the old transit shod. The. deceased who was only two years and seven months old, was playing with some other young children on the beach near the water. The deceased appeal’s to have waded in the water to play, and passing suddenly from the shallows to tlie deep water got out of his ’depth. A son of Airs. Hall of tke Occidental Hotel, .Tacky Hall; aged about four years ran home, .and met Mr. V. TV. M. Bonar telling him a little boy had fallen into the water. Along with others who were on the wharf a search was promptly instituted, but it was sometime later before a young lad named Arthur Greaney saw the body floating in the water fate downwards near the Magazine shed, which would bo about two hundred yards from where the fatality occurred. With tlie available assistance the body was brought ashore, and Mrs Wood, Superintendent of tlie St John’s Ambulance Society, who bad been attracted to the scene of the accident, attempted to restore animation by means of artificial respiration. Meanwhile Mr. Bonar had summoned the police and T)r. Teichelmann and when tlie latter arrived he pronounced life to bo extinct. The body was then removed to the Occidental Hotel.

The father of tlie little boy, Mr. Gibbin, who was ti recent arrival from Reefton, who was at the time of the accident at the Westland Hospital where liis wife is seriously ill. He returned in time to hear tho sad news that the child, a bright little fellow, had been drowned .

Yesterday afternoon an inquest was held at the Police Station office touching tlie death of Ronald Vincent Ambrose Gibbin, and evidence’ in support of the foregoing statement was led. A verdict of “accidentally drowned” was. recorded by the Coroner, Mr. Evans,