BOY’S BODY FOUND IN RIVER

Southland Times, Issue 24890, 2 November 1942, Page 4

BOY’S BODY FOUND IN RIVER

Inquest At Mataura

The body of Kenneth Thompson, aged six, was found in the Mataura river about five miles south of the town yesterday. The boy disappeared from his home at Mataura a fortnight ago, and since he was first reported missing a continuous search had been carried out. The high state of the river last week made it unsafe to conduct the patrol by boat, but it was found possible to resume the search on the water on Saturday morning. Last night an inquest was held at Mataura before the district coroner, Mr A. T. Newman. A verdict that the boy was accidentally drowned was returned. Evidence of identification was given by the father of the boy, Alfred R. Thompson. The witness said that on Sunday, October 18, his small daughter had come home and told him that her brother had gone fishing and that “he might be drowned.” A search for the boy was immediately made. Constable L. J. Brazier gave evidence of finding the body. He said that with others he had been searching the river in a boat that day. They had found the body in an inaccessible part of the river. It was jammed against a willow tree and would not have been visible from the bank. _ • The Coroner paid a tribute to the work of those who had assisted in the search.