Lives of the First World War

known 6th June 1917

While bathing at Colwyn Bay on Monday, Douglas Padfield, late of the R.A.M.C., was drowned. A verdict of "Accidentally drowned" was returned at the inquest. Miss Gladys A. Willetts, of 144, Leopold-road, Edgehill, Liverpool, stated that she was staying at Colwyn Bay, and went out for a swim on Monday morning. She was just coming out of the water when she heard a shout for help, and she struck out in the direction of a man who was drowning about 100 yards from the shore. She called to another bather, a man, to come with her. As she was nearing the man, to whom she shouted, "Cheer up; I won't be long," he went under, and just before she got to him he sank a second time, and did not come up again. Witness dived twice, but failed to find him. As she reached the spot one of two boats which were in the vicinity also came up. When she left the shore these boats would be about thirty yards distant from the drowning man. She shouted to the occupants of the boats to go to the help of the deceased man, and if either had hurried up she felt sure they could have saved him. The Coroner complimented Miss Willetts upon her plucky action. The drowning man was struggling in the water and shouting, and witness could not understand why the occupants of the boats did not see the man. Answering a further question, Miss Willetts said the oarsmen in the boats rowed towards the drowning man after a time, but dipped their oars as though they had all day to do it in. When she came up with the boat nearest the spot the man in it said, "It's all right," and she replied, "It is not all right, he has gone." James Wilfrid Harper, of 58, Orford-road, Moseley, Birmingham, who volunteered to be a witness, stated that he was on holiday at Colwyn Bay, before joining the Army. With his mother, sister, and another lady he went out in a rowing-boat on Monday morning. The boat was rowed by a boatman. His brother, in another boat, was about fifty yards distant, when he noticed a girl and a man swimming. He heard a shout from towards the shore, and told the boatman that a man swimming in the sea was shouting. The boatman, thinking the man was fooling, replied that they ought not to do such things. Then witness heard another shout. He stood up to look round. He observed that the man was drowning. In returning their verdict the jury agreed with the coroner that a patrol-boat should be provided for the protection of bathers.

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