“ACCIDENTALLY DROWNED.”

Shannon News, 6 January 1925, Page 3

“ACCIDENTALLY DROWNED.”

FOXTON BATHING FATALITY.

A Colonial inquiry into the sad drowning fatality at Manawatu Heads on Thursday was held at Foxton on Friday morning before Mr T. Brown, Coroner, of Levin. A verdict was returned that the deceased, Miss Ada Olive Miles, was accidentally drowned. Dr. Wyllie, who was summoned lo the scene of the fatality when the body was. removed from the water, gave evidence that when he first saw deceased lying on the beach he realised there was no hope of restoring life. Artificial respiration had been commenced before arrival and was continued after that under his supervision. In his opinion death was due to drowning and was not caused by heart failure. Herbert Henry Russell, detective, stationed a,t Palmerston North, identified the body as that of his wife’s sister, a native of Withernsea, Yorkshire, England. She arrived in New Zealand in January, 1924. Amy Margaret Russell, of Palmerston North, deposed that she was. twelve years of age and was a niece ol deceased. She and her aunt lelt 1 axnuerston at 9 a.m. for Foxton and went straight down to-the beach on January 1. They went in for a swim and after lunch went in again, Wit-

ness was trying to teach deceased to swim. After a time witness remarked that they were a long way from the place they started and they decided Ito go ouit. They were walking towaid the Beach and both dropped into a

hole. Deceased said: “The breakers have got us.” The water was only up to their waists before this. Witness tried to swim with her aunt but the latter kept' pulling her under water “I told her tq leave go and she lelt go and i swam for help. I shouted lout ‘Help.’ No one took any notice so ' when I reached the beach 1 said ‘Did [ not vqu hear me shouting for help. 1 was answered ‘Yes’ by three men, who said they' had thought we were alright. 1 said I was alright, but thei e was another in the water drowning. One man who was. in the water tried to get deceased out, but he got cramp. Another man went in but he got into the hole and had to swim out By this time the breakers had washed tieceased into the shallow water. Another man went into the water and pulled her out with the help of two others. The doctor tried to restore deceased, tout could not do so.