DRAGGED BY HORSE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 15, 24 May 1939, Page 5

DRAGGED BY HORSE

FARMER'S MANY INJURIES INQUEST CONCLUDED , _ ? «? . When, the inquest into the death of John Davjd Gobbie, farmer, Awakeri, was resumed before Mr G. A. Brabant, district coroner, at the Whakatane Courthouse yesterday, the first witness was Constable Hugh Hedley who said that on May 16, in company with Dr Appleby lie went to Gobbie's farm. Gobbie was lying unconscious and seriously injured in a paddock. Marks in the paddock indicated he had been dragged some dis tance. The constable caught the horse and found blood on a rope dragging from its neck. The horse seemed quiet and made no serious attempt to get away. He nut the injured man on a lorry made him as comfortable as possible and took him to hospital. F. J. Appleby, medical practitioner, said that on May 16 he was called by phone to AwaJteri to attend to the man who had been dragged by a horse. He found the man lying in a paddock in an unconscious state. It was obvious at this stage that the man would not recover as he had received multiple injuries, including a fractured skull, a compound fracture of the right ankle, bruising of chest and the fracture of several 1 ribs. There were large flesh wounds on the right arm and very little whole skin left on the back. His respiration and heart were failing. After admission to hosnital Gobbie grew weaker and died in the early hours of the following morning. Death in his opinion was due to shock following multiple external and internal injuries. Mr Brabant returned a verdict that deceased died on May 17, from injuries received while handling a horse, when a rope attached to the animal became caught round one of his ankles.