The family of Scout John Burns, a boy who died while trying to cross a river near Rissington in 1979, was part of a ceremony to officially open a new bridge across the Mangaone River.
The new structure, which accesses the Weka Point Scout Camp near Rissington, was opened on
October 2 and replaces a swing bridge which was built following the death of the young scout.
John was among a group of scouts camped at Weka Point who had been forced to move after heavy overnight rain caused the river to rise. During the crossing he was carried away by the current.
A memorial bridge was built in John's name in the early 1980s, but recently it had been deemed unsafe after nearly three decades of use.
The Hastings Host Lions Club took on the job of building the new bridge, donating $25,000 towards the project. The Lloyd Morgan Lions Club Charitable Foundation also contributed $10,000.
