South Yorkshire Times, April 10, 1943

Boy’s Fall from Lock Gate

Drowning Tragedy at Swinton

Falling from a bridge lock into the canal at Swinton on Saturday, Colin Rosbrook (7), son of Jack Rosbrook, miner, of 72, Charles Street, Swinton, was drowned.

Recording a verdict of “Accidental death ” at the inquest at Swinton on Monday, the Sheffield District Coroner (Mr. A. P. Lockwood) pointed out that children were always interested in adventures and everything should be done to try and save them from themselves. He was sure the canal was a source of danger to children, and, although he did not know whether he had held an inquest on a child falling in at that particular spot before, he knew it was by no means the first inquest on children of tender years who had fallen into canals from walls and lock-gates,. If anything could be done in the way of fencing off the canal, he hoped it would be done. He did not attach much significance to the fact that there were no notices against trespassing because children would take no notice of them.

The father said the boy came in for a penny to buy ice-cream at Talbot Road and he would have to go over the canal bridge. He did not know of his son having stopped to play at the canal previously and he had given him instructions not to go there. The last thing his wife said as the boy was going out was to tell him to keep away from the canal. About 3.50 p.m., he heard the boy had fallen in the canal.

Dr. C. E. Mead, of Mexborough, said when he was called to the canal he found the boy had been got out by 3.55 p.m., artificial respiration was being performed and was continued when he got there. This failed and witness pronounced the boy dead at 4.47 p.m. The cause of death was drowning. The boy had bruising on the temple and, although this might have caused the boy to be stunned and kept under the water, it was not the cause of death. Everything possible had been done for the boy when witness arrived.

P.c. Robinson said there was about four feet of water in the centre of the canal basin. It was possible to walk on the wooden lock gates when they were closed and there was a handrail to support anyone crossing. On each side there was a heavy wooden beam operating the gates, and witness learnt that the boy and his companion had been standing on the beam, Rosbrook nearest to the water side. Rosbrook had been leaning over the water while holding the handrail, slipped and fell in the water. There was no proper fencing at that point. Many children went to the canal and there was no notice warning them not to. Owners of the canal were the Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation Co. and the handrail was for use of their employees only. A few people cut across the canal there, but it was very dangerous.

Another little boy, William Ardron (7), of Charles Street, who was with Rosbrook, said nobody pushed Rosbrook into the water. He watched the boats, but Rosbrook had not been with him before.

Fred Brammer, canal workman, of 6, Melton Street, Mexborough, said he closed the clough to let the water into the basin and opened the lower dough that emptied the water. He recovered the boy from the water but there was no sign of life. The foreman, Frank Parkin, had been telling the boys to clear off several times that day.

George William Haigh, of Thorne, a carpenter, who was repairing the lock gates, said work ended about 3 p.m. and then the clough which filled the basin was opened.

He saw the boy fall from the bridge lock into the basin. He shouted to his workmates and took a rope to where the boy had fallen in. He never saw the boy come to the surface. The boy appeared to have fallen accidentally and there was no question of children pushing each other.