John King

People Buried Here

Description

Papers past

Newspapers Patea Mail 8 January 1883 Page 3

A SAD AFFAIR AT MOKOIA.

Father and Son Drown

We have to record one of the most sad and distressing' drowniug cases that has occurred in the' district, and by which two persons— father and son— lost their lives. Mokoia, near Manutahi was the scene of the fatal event, and the victims were Mr. John King and his son Frank, a fine promising lad of about 11 years. From what can be gathered at present it appears that the boy's father converted a box into a boat on which the boy might paddle about in a small pond or dam, situated at the head of a gully behind Mr. G. T. Bayley's house, and used as a bath. It appears that on Saturday the boy went to the dam, took off his clothes and then got into the box, and when a little from the side, the box overbalanced precipitating the lad into the water, and he sank. His father seeing this jumped into the water to help him out. Shortly afterwards, Mrs. King, missing her son became alarmed- as to his safety, and made search Mr Henry. Bayly joining in he went, to the dam, and seeing the, clothes on the bank concluded he had drowned he dived down for him he discovered a body but it was that of the father of the boy he dived again and this time bought up the son. The pond which was the scene of this heart wrenching affair was only about 20 foot square and about 10 feet deep in the centre but neither being able to swim, and no help being near it was quiet deep enough for the sad result. The water was very muddy and it supposed that there must have been a struggle when the man jumped in to rescue the boy

When Mr. Bayly went to search for the boy, it was supposed that the father was away on the farm at work. Mr. King had been acting as overseer for Mr. Bayly for the last two years, and was a steady and highly respected man. Besides the widow at Mokoia, there is a grown-up family at Auckland. An inquest was held at Manutahi today, when, we learn by telegram, a verdict of " accidentally drowned" was returned.