TE WHAITI TRAGEDY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 18, 20 October 1944, Page 5

TE WHAITI TRAGEDY

THE CORONER'S VERDICT

VIBRATION POSSIBLY THE

CAUSE

A verdict in accordance with thb medical evidence, that deceased had died as a result, of injuries received in the course of his employment at Te Whaiti on October 13 last was returned by the District Coroner 5 Mr W. L. when the in« quest into the circumstances surrounding the death of Henry Te Amo Maori skid foreman aged 38. •r ■> » of the State Forest was concluded.

Evidence of identification, had been previously given by J. L. Hann, forest ranger. Medical details were supplied by Dr., R. Dorset of. Rotorua ) and eye-witnesses' accounts were heard from T. K. Basse tt ? storeman Whare Taylor Neti Akuhata and Constable L. Bidois of Te Whaiti. ■f A married man, living with his family at Te Whaiti 5 deceased was, described as an outstanding man at his job } careful and one who would be very hard to replace. He had been timber scaler for the Department for a number of years.

Details regarding the fatal accident showed how Te Amo had been employed with a gang at No. 8B skids in the bush about 4.10 p.m. Deceased it was testified, had been f 9 ' working a power saw—clocking one of four logs on the skids. While operating this machine he had found it necessary to go between the log he was docking and another this giving him a, space of about one foot to work in.

Witnesses' saw a log commence to roll and had shouted a warning but deceased had apparently not. heard it and he was crushed between the rolling log and the one he had been docking.

Immediate assistance had been rendered the injured man but he died twenty-five minutes after being extricated.

The opinion was expressed by witnesses that the rolling aft hough chocked, had fallen away presumably through vibration from the power saw. It was also stated that the log had probably rolled over the chocks owing to the uneven lay of it. on the skids.