PrenticeNet

FATAL BUSHFELLING ACCIDENT AT RAETIHI - A lamentable bushfelling accident happened here on Saturday, the 12th inst. Mr George Prentice, a respected settler of this district, and his two boys, were felling bush on his own section, and it seems that the second eldest boy was up in a tauwa tree lopping the large limbs off. The father and other boy were driving a white pine on to the standing trunk of a matai, the boy being some distance sideways from the direction the trees were going. As it happened, however, the matai trunk went sideways, right into the tauwa that the boy was lopping, and struck him across the back. Death was instantaneous. In fact, from what I can learn, it is a wonder that they were not all killed, as when the driving tree was going, the father and the brother ran in the direction where the boy was lopping the tauwa, and the unfortunate lad dropped out of the tree almost at his father's feet. The family are highly respected throughout the district, and this boy was especially noted for being very civil and obliging. It seems the irony of fate that our most deserving settlers suffer the greatest misfortunes, and Mr and Mrs Prentice have the heartfelt sympathy of their neighbours throughout the district.