CORONER'S COMMENT ON DOUBLE DROWNING

Chronicle (Levin), 8 July 1947, Page 5

CORONER'S COMMENT ON DOUBLE DROWNING

CHRISTCHURCH, July 7. "It seems that the taxl driven by Messenger plunged obliquely into the harbour. What happened can-only be a matter of eonjecture, " said the Coroner, Mr. Raymond Ferner, at an inquest into the deaths at Lyttelton on Jnne 22 of Gilbert Fosse Messenger, taxi driver, of Christchurch, and Kenneth Davis, assistant cook, of the overseas vessel Saminver. "The accident niight have been caused in part by a confusion of lights or by economy in lighting, " continued the Coroner. "It had been made to appear that . the approach to the wharves at night was far from satisfactory. The roadway, if it could be called a roadway, was ill-defined and it was a situation at night which might vvell confuse a driver. It seemed that Messenger was driving on Harbour Board property and there seemed to be no by-law against his doing so but no proteetion had been provided against such accidents. I think it is of import~ ance that a clearly defined roadway should be laid down, ' ' said the Coroner, "so that persons using it for their lawful occasions, may do so in safety. That this matter required the urgent application of these precautions is shown by this unfortunate accident." A verdict was returned that the twp men .died from asphyxia from aceiden-i tal drowning when the taxi fell into the sea. Called by the Coroner, Captain A. E. Chrisp, harbourmaster at Lyttelton, said that tlie Lyttelton Harbour Board did not have ex,clusive control of the wharves. There was dual control by the Railways Department and Board. Witness had some control of vehicular and pedestrian traffic on the wharves but the Railways Department, through the stationmaster, also had control. In reply to a further question by the Coroner, Captain Chrisp said he did not know of any harbour board by-law prohibiting Messenger from driving on the breastwork from which the taxi fell. He did not consider the situation regarding the vehicular approach to wharves at night to be satisfactory. He thought vehicles should not cross the railway lines. There were no notices warning drivers not to drive on the wharves.