Supposed Drowning Accident.

Manawatu Herald, 6 January 1894, Page 2

Supposed Drowning Accident.

We fear that we have again to recoid a sad case of drowning in the Manawatu River, which is supposed to have occurred at Paiaka. On Thursday evening, about 7 o'clock, a boy named Reginald Long, who was on a visit to Mi R. Gardner of Paiaka, from Wellington, was amusing himself at the back of the mill when he was suddenly misled, and his hat was picked up floating on the water close in to the bank. It is surmised that the boy must have fallen in from the bank of the river near the mill. At this spot, which is in a bend of the river, it is deep very close in to the bank, and anyone falling in the water would have some difficulty in reaching land without some assistance, the banks being so high. The Messrs Gardner at once turned out with many others, and organised a search for the lad, and Constable Gillespie was sent for, and acquainted with the facts of the mishap. After a deal of dragging for the body, we regret to say they have not been successful in finding the missing one. There can be hardly any doubt but that the unfortunate lad has been drowned.

Another version of the affair appears in the N.Z. Times this morning : — The police yesterday received information that a boy named Reginald Long, 12 years of age, son of Mr C. Long, of Wellington, was supposed to be lost in the bush at Kenu'u. It appears that the boy was engaged on Mr R. .Gardner's station, in the vicinity of Kerern, and on Thursday a horse which he had been riding came home without him. Mr Long went up to the scene of the occurrence on yesterday morning's train, and the police telegraphed instructions to Constable O'Rourke, at Otaki, to institute a search, but so far no news of the boy's whereabouts has yet come to hand.