| Accidental Death from Drowning—On Tuesday last W. Marshall, Esq., coroner, held an inquest at the “Hare and Hounds,” Great Addington, on the body of a single young man named Robert Dix, a labourer of Ringstead, aged 18. It appeared that on the previous Sunday morning deceased, with two other young men, left Ringstead for a stroll, and took the foot road from thence in the direction of Great Addington. On crossing a bridge deceased’s cap blew off his head into the water. He got over a stile by the side of the bridge with a view, if possible, to save his cap, which was floating about a yard from the margin of the stream. He placed his feet on turf at the side of the water, which he supposed was sufficiently firm to stand upon, but which, however, was insecure from its soft state through recent floods and whilst he was in the act of bending forward to seize his cap, his footing gave way, and he fell head-foremost into the water, a depth of 16 feet. Neither of the two young men who accompanied him could swim, and no help being at hand, the poor young man was drowned. The body was not recovered until ten o’clock the same night. Verdict “Accidentally drowned.” |
