South Yorkshire Times June 21, 1958 full

Boy’s Quarry Fall
Mexborough Expedition Nearly Led To Disaster

A visit to a quarry at Levitt Hagg near Warmsworth, nearly ended in disaster for a 13-years-old Mexborough schoolboy,

Barry Towning, (picture, left) of Windhill Avenue, last Thursday night when he  slipped from the quarry face while looking for young jackdaws and fell almost 20 feet.

But thanks to prompt action by three of his classmates at Adwick Road Secondary School, who were with him at the time, Barry, suffering from head injuries, was soon in Doncaster Royal Infirmary.

Two of the boys, Lawrence Hindley (picture right) (12), of 95, Wath Road, Mexborough, and Douglas Sykes (picture, centre) (13), of 50, Pitt Street, Mexboro’ carried Barry, who was unconscious to a clearing, while David Archer (13), of 11, Cross Church Street, Mexborough cycled into Warmsworth 3 miles way and told a policeman of the accident.

“I followed the police car on my bicycle” David said. “We were met about halfway by Lawrence, who helped to direct the car to where Barry was.

Douglas Sykes, son of a steel-worker, Mr. Joe Sykes, and youngest of a family of eight gave an eye witness account of the accident. He said Barry climbed up the quarry face to see if there were any young jackdaws in a next.

“He shouted and told us there was ‘nothing in’ and began to making his way down” he said. “He must have slipped for he somersaulted and fell. When we got

Douglas added that a man managed by his head. He also sent David to get the police and an ambulance.

Mr. and Mrs. Willis Towning were informed of their son’s accident by the police at 9.30 p.m. Mr. Towning is a miner at Denaby Main Colliery.

Lawrence Hindley’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Hindley, had given their son instructions to be home by 8.30 p.m. When he did not arrive, Mr. Hindley left on his motor cycle to search for the boy. While he was away, the police informed Mrs. Hindley of the accident and told her that Lawrence was on his way home.