Boy, 2, slips to death from Thames cruiser

AN INVESTIGATION is under way today after a two-year-old boy slipped to his death from a Thames pleasure boat.

The child drowned after falling unnoticed from the 40 foot vessel as he played with his brother and sister.

A police helicopter and dogs joined a frantic search at Donnington Bridge, Oxford. The boy's parents collapsed as police divers pulled the body from the river bed. He was taken to John Radcliffe Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Inspector Simon Pont, of Oxford Police, said: "This would appear to be a tragic accident. Our sympathies are with the family of the young boy." The family, from Windsor, Berkshire, was on holiday in Oxford. John Willis, an Oxfordshire ambulance service superintendent, said: "The little lad was on the river bed. The fireman passed him up to me and we rushed him to hospital while trying to revive him. "It is an awful tragedy and has deeply affected everyone who was at the scene." The death was one of a string of accidents that marred the Easter bank holiday break. A pregnant woman and her art dealer husband were recovering in hospital today after their helicopter crashed in thick fog off the south coast. Paul and Lisa Burgess, from Buckinghamshire, were close to death when they were plucked from the water after a two-hour air and sea search. Valuable paintings the pair were carrying were found floating near the wreck of the Jet Ranger helicopter. With visibility down to only 100 yards, Mr Burgess had made an urgent call to air traffic control and said: "We are lost in dense fog and all I can see is cliffs." He lost control and crashed two miles off the Dorset coast. Rescue helicopters were scrambled and the pair were picked up suffering from hypothermia. In a separate accident, two people escaped uninjured as their helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing at Biggin Hill in Kent yesterday. Overall temperatures were low and many people decided to spend the day at home. In Kensington Gardens there were few takers for the deck chairs, even though they were only 70 pence for four hours. On the roads, drivers enjoyed an unexpectedly easy return yesterday evening when predicted traffic chaos failed to materialise. An AA Roadwatch spokesman said: "People are spreading their journeys home and some of them are taking the whole week off. The end of last week was hectic, but there have been no major problems on the roads since then." However two women died in a head-on crash on the A131 in Braintree, Essex, on Sunday. Jean Casey, 66, from Chelmsford, Essex, died in hospital after being airlifted from the crash site. Louisa Clowes, 88, from Retford, Nottinghamshire, died at the scene. Five others were injured in the two-car collision. The mild weather in the south-east attracted huge crowds to Battersea Park for one of the world's oldest work horse displays. Up to 6,000 people enjoyed the 114th London Harness Horse Parade which boasted 300 entries. Walter Gilbey, parade society chairman, said: "It was a tremendous success. The quality of horses we see improves every year." Lifelong competitor Ron Higgins, 70, drove a 1929 carriage, and picked up first prize for his Welsh horses Holly and Cherry. He said: "My family has been coming here for years. I remember coming here before the war with my sister. I love the parade and I like keeping old traditions going." In the south of France 100 angry holidaymakers blocked the path of a departing jet after suffering long delays at Toulouse airport and demanded to be taken aboard. Passenger Jacques Cristalli, 48, said: "It was the last straw. We ran out in a huge group and blocked the plane. It was our only transport to Morocco. Most of us were beyond caring about being arrested."

Copyright 1999
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.