Kaitoke Drowning Tragedy
George, aged 23 years of age and a carpenter, was on a camping party of twelve friends at Kaitoke over Christmas 1905. They had pitched their tents on the banks of the Pakuratahi stream.
At 11am on 26th December, George challenged some of the others to go into the river with their clothes on. Richard Larkin and Reginald Staples entered and swam for about 10 minutes. The pool they were swimming in was a very deep, dark one – with steep, slippery banks.
George got in shortly after carrying a log under his arms presumably for buoyancy. Richard and Reginald had become tired by this point and were going to get out. As George swam back towards the bank, he relinquished the log and went under. Richard dived for him and grabbed him by the shirt. Reginald came to assist when George seized Richard and both sank. Reginald managed to bring Richard to the surface and they got to shore. George’s body was not recovered until 1pm.
At the Inquest, it was revealed that the night before the accident some members of the group had ‘chaffed’ George about not being able to swim. George said he could swim eight stokes. The jury returned a verdict of accidental drowning.
The funeral took place on the afternoon of 28th December. The Rev J. North of the Vivian Baptist Church officiated at the burial service.
George was the eldest child of builder & contractor Joseph Walter Prentice Fossette and his wife Eliza Frances (nee Mason). Joseph was born in New York and came to Australia as a child at the time of the Civil War. At one time he was woodwork instructor at Wellington Technical College. George’s parents lived to the ages of 93 and 95. Both are buried in Wanganui. George is the only interment in this plot.
Plot: *Public 2/J/42
By Julia Kennedy
