BATHING FATALITY

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 2829, 3 January 1925, Page 3

BATHING FATALITY

AT LOCAL SEASIDE. YOUNG WOMAN LOSES HER LIFE. Quite a gloom was cast over the large gathering of holiday makers :at the local seaside on New Year’s Day when, it became known that a young lady, Miss Ada Olive Miles, aged 31: years, a. visitor from Palmerston N., had lost her life while i bathing. In company with her niece, - Margaret Russell, deceased went in for a dip at the point, a treacherous spot on the north spit, at the ; \ entrance to the river. Being strangers to the locality, and away from the crowd —which was assembled on the river foreshore to witness the sports—they were not made aware of the danger to bdthers at the locality. The details of the fatality .were set out at the inquest held yesterday afternoon at the local courthouse. Deceased was a sister-in-law of Detective Russell, of Palmerston N., and had only been in New Zealand about a year. She was employed by Messrs Whitehead and Ellis, of. Palmerston N. and had accompanied Mr and Mrs Ellis to the Beach. The deceased was of a happy disposition and was popular with all with whom she was acquainted. She was wellknown in Palmerston N. musical circles and was a member of the Cuba St. Methodist Church choir, and Palmerston N. Choral Society. The internment took place in Palmerston N. to-day. Much sympathy is expressed with Detective and Mrs Russell in their bereavement. THE INQUEST. An inquest into the circumstances surrounding the death of Ada Olive Miles was held in the courthouse before Mr T. Brown, of Levin, acting Coroner, yesterday. E. M. Wyllie, medical practitioner, in evidence, said that he examined the body of deceased at about 2.30 p.m. on the Ist January and tried artificial respiration, which was carried Out by a number of people beskles witness for a long time. There was no sign of life in the body and he held no hope of recovery from first viewing deceased. From all appearances deceased had died from drowning. The body was markedly cyanoted as is usual in drowning and there were no indications to show death due to anything but drowning. Herbert Henry Russell, detective, of Palmerston N., brother-in-law of deceased, gave evidence to identifying the body as that of Ada Olive Miles, aged 31 years, a native of Withernsea, East Yorkshire, England. Deceased arrived in New Zealand in January, 1924 and witness was deceased’s only relation in the Dominion.

Amy Margaret Bussell, aged 12 years,- of Palmerston N. niece of deceased, said that on the morning of January. Ist, about 9 o’clock, in company with her aunty'and others, she left Palmerston N. for the Foxton Beach. On arrival there witness and her aunty went for a dip. After lunch they went for another dip at the point, witness endeavouring to teach deceased to swim. After, a while deceased suggested that they should go out, to which witness agreed. They wiere then in water up to their waists. Deceased remarked on the distance they were from the place where they had first entered the water. As they proceeded ashore they both dropped into a deep hole. Witness tried to swim with deceased, but deceased was too much for her and kept dragging her under. Deceased said “The breakers have got us.” Witness asked her aunty; to leave go of her and she would swim ashore for help, which she did. As witness was swimming ashore she called to three men on the bank for help but no notice was taken. When witness reached the bank she said “Didn’t you hear me shout ‘help.’ ” The men replied that they had but had watched witnessand thought she was all right. Witness said she was all right but that her aunty was drowning. One man who was in the water at the time, tried to reach deceased but got cramp and had to go out. Another went in but pot in a hole and hadto swim out. Another man went in and witness, together with two other men, dragged deceased ashore, she having by this time been washed into shallow water by a breaker. People gathered round and tried to warm deceased and the doctor was sent for immediately. A verdict of accidental drowning was returned.