SUPPOSED DROWNING FATALITY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 30 September 1907, Page 2

SUPPOSED DROWNING FATALITY.

M hat tliere seems little doubt to believe has resulted in a sad drowning fatality occurred on Saturday afternoon near the mouth of the Mangati stream, about four miles along the coast from the Waiwakaiho river. A lad named James Dustow, fifteen years of age, son of a well-known settler in the Bell Block district, left his home about noon to go whitebaiting. Alarm was occasioned when he failed to return home iu the evening, and efforts to trace him during the night brought no result. Vesterday morning a large number of searchers was out and the locality thoroughly searched. Constable Mclvor was despatched from town, and with some sixty anxious friends and neighbours a systematic search was commenced. It was learned that the lad had left his bicycle at Mr. Hoskins' farm, and tluit his footprints had been traced along the river-bank. The river was running in Hood. Later his bootß were discovered on a largo boulder, on which was also a ''catch" of whitebait. Alongside the boulder the river runs in a deep and 1 dirty poo], into which it is feared the unfortunate youth may have slipped oft Ihe boulder and been drowned. The pool and lower reaches of the river were dragged (ill nightfall, without result. Ceneral concern" is felt throughout the district for the friends of the missing lad, who was well and popularly known in town amongst the High School pupils.