HEROIC NATIVE.

Waikato Times, Volume 119, Issue 19879, 7 May 1936, Page 8

HEROIC NATIVE.

FIRE IN A OAMP. BOY FATALLY BURNED. MAN‘S COURAGEOUS CONDUCT. VVAIROA, Wednesday. A tragedy occurred at a scrub cutters' camp on the Riverina station on Sunday night. the victim being a native boy. George Ihakara Lewis. aged eight years, who succumbed to burns. Left in the camp with Mr Pera Solomon, the boy slept in a tent which was used by the Lewis family, Mr Solomon sleeping in a tent by himself. Before retiring .\lr Solomon put out the fire in the larger tent. A few hours later. however, he was awakened by screams, and rushing into the large tent, found the.boy sitting up in his bed, which was burning furiously. He seized the buy, his own clothes catching alight, and carried the boy outside, Though badly burned about the legs, arms. head and face, with hardly a stitch of clothing left on him. Mr Solomon set. out. with the boy in his arms to trudge over three miles of broken country to a \Vhare where he knew he would find the boy‘s parents. When he reached the “here he was completely exhausted.

The boy‘s father did what 'he could to relieve the suffering of his son and Mr Solomon and, obtaining assist—ance from the homestead. a. party set our for Ft‘as’ertown but after traversing two miles the boy died. Mr Solomon was admitted to the hospital. his condition being serious, and latest advices report no improvement. At the inquest on the body of the boy a verdict, was returned that death was due to shock following burns accidentally received when the tent. caught fire.