Fed: Mother tells of son's death on farm with no phone

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Fed: Mother tells of son's death on farm with no phone

Two inquiries are underway into the death of a 10-year-old boy on a Victorian farmafter his mother repeatedly tried to get Telstra to fix their phone.

SAM BOULDING died of an asthma attack last week at a remote property near Kergunyahin north east Victoria.

And his family was unable to call an ambulance because the telephone was out of order.

The family has blamed SAM's death on Telstra, which had failed to respond to repeatedcalls to fix the line for 10 days.

ROSE BOULDING says if her husband had been able to call an ambulance immediately whenSAM had the asthma attack instead of having to run to a nearby property, SAM might stillbe alive.

The communications watchdog has begun an inquiry into the case at the request of CommunicationsMinister RICHARD ALSTON.

Telstra's also ordered an independent review by auditors PricewaterhouseCoopers.

AAP RTV kmh/ce/ra/daw/sal/jh

KEYWORD: PHONE (CANBERRA)