West Gippsland Gazette (Warragul, Vic. : 1898 - 1930), Tuesday 22 January 1901, page 5


FATALITY AT WAR-RAGUL. A YOUTH DROWNED. We regret to have to record a sad fatality, which occured on Sunday morn-ing, when a young man named Alan Burnett, employed at Mr. H. J. Day's shop was drowned in the Warragul public baths. It appears that Mr. and Mrs. Day had driven out to "Hazeldene" to visit another nephew Mr. Avery, who recently purchased that property, and the morning being close and oppressive, young Burnett elected to go down to the baths for a swim with a companion named Symons. After undressing he jumped into the water which was about 10 feet deep, and sank to the bottom. He rose to the surface two or three times but although his com-panion made a plucky attempt to save him he was unsuccessful, and the unfortunate lad was drowned. THE CORONERS INQUEST. An inquest on the death of the young man Burnett was held at the Warragul Court-house yesterday morning by Mr. David Connor, Coroner. Dr. Hayes, M.D., of Queen street, gave evidence of being called upon to attend deceased, and said he reached the baths about 12 o'clack on Sunday. He found the young man was dead, although those present had done all they could to restore animation. Ernest John Symons, watchmaker, and a fellow worker of deceased, said they went together to get a bath about 11 o'clock on Sunday morning. He un-dressed, jumped in and had a swim. He was resting by the jetty, when Burnett ran on to the jetty and jumped in feet foremost. In a few moments he saw deceased rise to the surface and as he was struggling he swam to his assistance but as deceased pulled him under the water he was obliged to force himself away. He then asked a man named John Hort who was on the bank to help him, but Hort could do nothing as he was unable to swim. He then put on some clothes and ran up for assistance. He found Constable Anstey, Mr. Hobbs and others who accompanied him immediately back to the baths. Hobbs dived into the water, and drew the body up. They im-mediately tried to restore him, but were unsuccessful. He must have been in the water about 20 minutes. The Coroner: Do you think there was any danger in diving, or ,jumping in at that spot ? Witness: No. The Coroner: Do you think, if there had been a rope handy you, with the others, would have been able to rescue him ? 'Witness: There was every probability of it. John Percy Hobbs, traveller for the Australian Publishing Company deposed that he was staying at the Railway hotel. On Sunday morning he saw Symons running and he said there was some one drowning at the public baths for assistance. He asked where the baths were, and being directed, ran as fast as possible, undressing as he went. When on the spot he asked where deceased had sank, and immediately dived in and searched the bottom. A young man named Wil- liam Harris dived in also, and together they succeeded in finding the body and brought it to the shore where they did all that was possible to restore life. Con-stable Anstey and William Harris of Smith street corroborated the above evi-dence, and the Coroner returned a verdict of death from asphyxia while bathing at the Warragul baths.