SHOOTING TRAGEDY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 96, 7 August 1945, Page 5

SHOOTING TRAGEDY

MAORI'S ACCIDENTAL DEATH

NIGHTMARE RETURN JOURNEY

The wild and broken country at the back of Tarawera was the scene of a tragic accident last Sunday, when a Patikura Kingata was killed instantaneonsly by the accidental discharge of a rifle with which he had been pig-hunting. The deceased was one of a party which comprised Mr C. Elvers, his son Mr Ted Eivers, the deceased and another Maori all of Te Teko. The group left in the early morning for the heavy bush eountry of Tarawera on a pig-huntiing expedi* tion. They penetrated deep into the broken hilly country and shot one. pig in the afternoon. At one ttage, approximately 3 p.m. the deceased handed his riile to Mr Eivers Junior assuring him that it was not loaded and asked him to carry it for a while. Mr Eivers obliged and slung it across his back, sitting down on a bank as he did so to rest. It is assumed that the riile which was apparently loaded unknown to Kingata caught the trigger in the bracken and fired, for the charge passed through deceased's back and penetrated the head. Death was immediate. The party then undertoo'k the ordeal of carrying the body back to the road. Heavy rain commenced to fall and the way lay through miles of shocking country. For three miles they battled in semi-darkness until they made the clearer bush. The next stage was made by forcing a truck through three miles of bush to the point where they / had sue-* ceeded in carrying the deceased. They arrived at Te Teko late at night. The inquest was opened yesterday morning at Kawarau before Mr C. S. Armstrong district coroner } and was adjourned sine die. Deceased was a single man aged 43 years,.