Effie Jean and Russell Thompson - died 10/3/1917. "looking for frogs"

ACCIDENTS AND DEATHS.

Press Association Telegram. DUNEDIN, March 11. Two children, named Effie Thompson (11 years) and Russell Thompson (7 years) were drowned in a dam at Messrs. Ross and Glendening’s factory at Kaikorai yesterday afternoon.   Gisborne Times, 12/3/1917.

The evidence given at the inquest on the bodies of Effie and Russell Thompson, who were drowned in a dam at Kaikorai on Saturday, showed that the children were looking for frogs. It has been suggested that the search for frogs was prompted by a circular sent out to the schools requesting that specimens should be secured for the University. We are informed that a notice was sent out last December to some of the schools asking that 300 frogs be collected by the older pupils for biological classes. There was practically no response to the request, which was withdrawn. The suggestion that the children were endeavouring to procure specimens for the University is not regarded as at all probable.   -Otago Daily Times, 12/3/1917.

SAD CASE OF DROWNING

TWO CHILDREN LOSE THEIR LIVES

Two little children were drowned under very sad circumstances in one of the dams on the property of Messrs Ross and Glendening, in the Kaikorai Valley, on Saturday morning. There are three dams on the property, and it seems that children going to play there, and particularly to catch frogs, have caused those in charge a considerable amount of trouble and no little anxiety. It has been the children's practice to confine themselves to the lower dam, which is situated nearer the road, but on the present occasion the two little ones got to the upper dam, where the sides are precipitous and the water deep, in addition to which the bottom is very slippery. It is evidently a very dangerous place for children, and they have been frequently turned off so as to avoid accident. The two children drowned — Effie Jean Thompson, aged 11 years, and Russell Thompson, aged eight years — whose father, Mr John Thompson, resides in Maryhill terrace, Mornington, and who is one of the Mornington representatives in the City Council, went away on Saturday morning, in company with a little fellow named John Sutherland, to gather mushrooms, and evidently visited the lagoon with the object of catching frogs. They took off their boots and stockings, and began wading about. What followed none actually saw, but the boy must have fallen or got out of his depth, and his little sister heroically went to his assistance, with the result that both were drowned. The little boy Sutherland seems to have got frightened at seeing the children struggling in the water, and ran off to the house of Mr Thompson, about a mile away, so that long before anyone could reach the dam the two children had perished. An inquest was held by Mr J. R. Bartholomew on Sunday afternoon at the parents' residence, when evidence to the above effect was given.

The Coroner said his verdict would be that the children were accidentally drowned in Ross and Glendening's dam. He did not think the boy Sutherland could have done anything more than he did. With regard to the dam, it was on private property, and the only way to safeguard children of tender years would be to have it fenced round so that children could not reach it. From what had happened it was the only way to ensure the lives of children, who would always wander about. He recommended the firm to take into serious consideration the fencing of this dam so that children of tender years could not reach it.  -Otago Witness, 14/3/1917.

Southern Cemetery, Dunedin.