MAROTIRI DROWNING FATALITY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3648, 7 June 1927, Page 2

MAROTIRI DROWNING FATALITY.

INQUEST ON VICTIM,

Two circumstances which helped to bring about the death of a Maori youth named .Joseph Mason, aged ItiA years, were an attempt on his part to float across the Manawatu River at Marotiri on a log on April lflth, and the fact that his trousers were not held up by belt or braces, from which it appears probable that the lad, who was believed to be a good swimmer, was hindered, from making any progress, after the log tilted and throw him into the water. In course of time his body, which went out to sea, was washed up by the tide on the beach about two miles south of the Manawatu Heads, being discovered there on Friday by Mr S. Spencer, of Levin, who was cycling between the Heads and Hokio.

An inquest into the circumstances of the boy’s death was held in Levin on Saturday, before Mr T. Brown, Coroner. The body was identified by Mr J. O’Donnohue, manager of the Boys’ Training Farm, who stated that deceased's parents resided at Punilio, near New Plymouth and that recently deceased had been in the employ of Mr Ben Stickles, at Rangiotu. Reuben Takarua, who was with deceased when the accident happened, gave evidence to the effect that both he and deceased had walked across to the river and followed it down for about a mile. There was a log on the bank, and Mason suggested rolling it into the river. Witness helped him to roll the log in and Mason gol ou top of it. In this way the deceased went a fair distance down the river, alongside the bank; then the log" rolled over and threw him into the water, and Mason went down out of sight. His coat came to the surface and then deceased came up and called for help. Reuben jumped into the river and swam to the log, and when he reached it he called to Mason to come towards him. Mason sank, came up again, and called: “Come here"; then he went down once more and that was the last that witness saw of him. Deceased was about three yards from witness when lie sank and witness was trying to take the log to him. Witness himself was only learning to swim. He added that he had since been told- that Mason was a good swimmer; but when lie saw Mason in the water he was not swimming but was struggling. Mason did not come up again after sinking for the third time. The place where lie sank was a deep hole. Deceased had no boots on at the time but was wearing a shirt, a coat, a pair of trousers and a cap; he had no braces or belt to hold bis trousers up. The Coroner returned a verdict that deceased was accidentally drowned in the Manawatu River at Marotiri on April 19tli, 1927.