INQUEST.

Hokitika Guardian, 29 December 1924, Page 1

INQUEST.

A Coroner’s inquest was held at the Police Station yesterday morning at 9 o’clock by the District Coroner (Air D. J. Evans) touching the death of the infant child of Air and Airs O’Dris-c-011, Men ley Street. It appears that the child Margaret Aliriatu O’Driscoll, aged 25 months, was playing in the wash-house on the afternoon of Saturday, about 2.30 o’clock. The mother called the children out. including a boy aged I years, ivlio had been washing his hands and face. The mother attended to the drying of the hoy. and a little Inter noticing the absence of the girl, called to her. and went- out the hack in search. Immediately the child was seen hanging over the side into a tub of water where the clothes had been put to soak lor the week-end washing. The voting child had drawn a stool to tile side of tub, and it is inferred had leaned over to secure tile sonp., with the unfortunate result that losing her balance, she had fallen into the cold water, banging face downwards with her bands on the bottom. The mother removed the child without delay, hut found the hwlv cold, and the heart not heating. An alarm was raised immediately, and the neighbors came in. anil every effort was made to resuscitate lire. Dr. Baird was called from the racecourse, and arrived within ten minutes, and endeavoured for half an hour to restore life. Airs o’Driscoll estimates it was aboutten minutes from the time she called the children in. till she missed the little girl. No sound had been heard to occasion alarm. The child was a bright little girl and particularly obedient and was no trouble about the home. The neighbors including Air "Pettigrew who lives close by, all did their best to restore animation, but AD- Pettigrew was satisfied when lie was called over, about ten minutes before the doctor’s arrival, life was extinct. The Coroner returned a verdict of accidental death hy drowning. Sympathy was expressed with the bereaved parents in their very sad and sudden loss of a bright and promising little girl.