DROWNED IN LAGOON.

Shannon News, 3 February 1925, Page 3

DROWNED IN LAGOON.

FATALITY AT SHANNON. BOY'S SAD END. A drowning la.ty.lity occurred ai Shannon shortly alter 1 p.m. on Sunday, the victim (being a boy named Leslie. Pratt, aged 14 years. The lad, in company with another boy, Harold Lloyd, and two younger children, Kenneth and Douglas Galloway, went ror a swim in the lagoon on Mr Carter's property. Soon alter going in Praiti got into difficulties, due to cramp, and called to Lloyd. The latter uia.de several attempts to rescue him, but tailed, and Anally ran lor assistance. He rang up Dr. Mackereth, who Immediately repaired to the scene of the accident. The body had by that time sunk, and Dr. Mackereth strapped oil, and, alter diving a number of tunes, succeeded in recovering it. Artificial

respiration was tried, but fife was found to be extinct. .The \yater in/ ttio lagoon was about six feet deep at the point where the boy was. drowned.

Tue deceased was a son of Mr B. H. Pratt, of Wellington, but wlio is at present an inmate of the Palmerston North Hospital, Leslie Pratt and his mother were staying with Mr and Mrs Galloway at Shannon. • EVIDENCE AT THE INQUEST. An inquest was held at the Police Station yesterday (before Mr Frazer (Coroner) touching upon the death cf the lad, Leslie Pratt, which occurred on Sunday. Harold Lloyd, 'employed at Mr Bert Galloway's, said he was ly years oi age. On Sunday, February Ist, between 12 and 1 o'clQOk, in company with deceased and Kenneth and Douglas Galloway, he went for a swim'in tJie 'pond on Pretoria road. Witness said he entered the water first, deceased following him, keeping in the shallow part. Deceased left the shallow part and came towards him. lie. naving returned to the 'bank, was commencing to dress. When deceaseu was about l : i yards from him he culled out, "Harold, quick." He threw oil what clothes lie had on and swiani towards. Pra.tt and grasped him around the waist, but he loist his hold and Pratt sank. Witness then swam t" the shallow part and getting his breath returned and again grabbed Pratt by the. head when lie came ft the surface, but he struggled and witness failed to hold him and he was sinking. Pratt caught him by the legs. He again went into shallow watier to get his breath, afterwords swiming around for about 20 minutes looking for deceased. He. then dressed and went for assistance. He was present when Dr. Mackereth recovered the body, which he identified as thai of Leslie Pratt, .Who he s.aid was a fan swimmer.

James Gilbert Mackereth, medical practitioner, residing at Shannon, said he was .called between 1.30 and 2 p.m. and in consequence proceeded to tile scene of the fatality. When lie arrived at the spot tie found a n-uan->ber of people standing on the bank and a lady was in the water searching for the body. He was. supplied with some old clothes and went into the water himself. It was about six feet in depth and after searching for some time .he located the body Lying in about six feet of water, and brought it to the 'bank. He carried out artificial respiration without effect. would think the body had been in the water about an hour. The body was that qf a well-nourished boy of about 15 years of age and. tine appearance of the body was consistent with that Qf drowning. Douglas Galloway, 10 years oi age. in corroborating the evidence of Harold Lloyd, stated that the latter twice made an attempt to swim out holding deceased, "but was too exhausted and could not hold Wm as he was strugglThge Coroner's verdict was that the deceased was accidentally diwned, no blame being .attachable to anyone.