ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2685, 15 December 1909, Page 5

ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES

WAIHUKA DROWNING FATALITY

An inquest into the death of Hugh O’Connor Avas held at a raihvay camp in the Waihuka Valley on Monday afternoon, before Mr. C. E. Armstrong, J.P. Thomas Corcoran, laborer, at Waihuka Valley, deposed that he had knoAvn deceased for ten months. About 4.30 p.m. .on Sunday deceased and witness’s brother came from the store carrying stores. _ The deceased was perspiring on arrival, and asked; witness if he would go in for a bath with him in the pool opposite the camp. Witness refused to go. and deceased said he Avould go himself. 'He took off his clothes, exeept his pants and boots, at the same time passing the remark that he Avas perspiring. Witness heard a scream about tiventy minutes after in the direction of the pool. Witness went into the Avater up to his Avaist, but could find no trace of deceased. The water Avas dirty at the time, witness called George Stanton, who tried five or six chains away. About twenty minutes after the scream A. McShane arrived. Witness identified tho body as that of Hugh O’Connor. Corntelius Corcoran gfxve evidence that deceased was very warm before going into the water, oiving to having carried the stores. Witness saw ihini standing in about three feet of Avater, naked: about five minutes later he hear a scream, and ran with his brother to the pool, but could not see deceased. Witness went into the shallow water, about three feet, but could find nothing of the body. Witness sent for George Stanton, also Anthony McShane. McShane Avent into the Avater, from tho ptjeam. This (would be about 20 minutes to half an hour from the time witness heard the scream. They immediatelv tried resuscitation. I-Ie identified the body as that of Hugh O’Connor. Deceased Avas unable to Anthony McShane said that about 4.30 p.m. on Sunday he Avas called by Corcoran, who asked witness if he could swim, as a chap was drowning. Witness ran to the pool, and went into the water ultimately recovering the bodv in about 4ft of water. Witness found the deepest portion of the' pool from Bft to Oft. • Witness thought it likely that deceased had been in the deep pool, hut. had been washed down the stream. ’’ . m „ • ’ Constable Doyle, of To Karaka, deposed that he had found no marks of violence on the body v A verdict of accidental drowning was returned. A SHOOTING ACCIDENT. rPiiH Press Association.] AUCKLAND, Dec.' 14. A serious accident occurred to Mr. R. W. Dentith master of the Horn, Hora School, on Saturday (reports the Cambridge correspondent of the “New Zealand Herald”). He was out shooting rabbits, Avhen in picking up the gun at his side lie discharged it. The charge passed through the top of his instep, and bursting out of the sole of charge severed the laces and blew the boot off his hoot. Mr. Dentith managed to get to the nearest settler s house, about half a mile away, unaided, whence he was conveyed in a Avaggon to Cambridge, and his injury attended to by a local doctor. ACCIDENT ON WELLINGTON WHARF. , WELLINGTON, Dec.. 14. EdAvard. Payne, a stevedore, Was struck by a sling of salt while working .01 a vessel this afternoon. He had. several ribs 1 , fractured, besides lesser injuries.',, ’ ’ y . BOY SERIOUSLY INJURED. Herbert Atkinson, aged eleven years, while ' playing at Miramar, to-day, had one foot so cut by a mowing machine that amputation was necessaty’.