DEATH ON ISLAND

Hokitika Guardian, 30 April 1931, Page 6

DEATH ON ISLAND

POVERTY BAY INQUEST. (By Telegraph —Per Press Association) GISBORNE, April 28. Late this afternoon the body of Edward O’Rourke, aged 44 years, labourer. single, and a returned soldier, was found on the beach at Tuamotu Island near Gisborne which is connected, by a strip of land and is accessible lrom tho shore at low tide. O’Rourke was last seen on the previous evening, returning to his home on the Island. The deceased leaves one sister, Mrs Howard, of Tinakori Road, Wellington.

THE INQUEST

GISBORNE, April 29

I At the inquest concerning the death lof Edvard O’Rourke, aged .Jorty-lour 1 years, labourer, evidence was given that the deceased left the mainland on Monday night to walk a unv hundred ! yards to his camp on Tuamotu Island, j which is accessible at low tide. Tho deceased had no liquor He appeared to ,be in his usual health. His body was | found the next night on the shore ol | the island under an overhanging cliff and almost under a large boulder. , which had fallen from the cliff. Kvidcnce was given by l)r. Gunn to the effect that there was no direct evidence of drowning and as the body was much mutilated, probably by sharks, it was hard to estimate the cause of death. The only solution witness could offer was that the left lung was adherent to the chest wall, and that deceased had slipped and caught his breath suddenly, tearing the lung from the chest wall. There was no evidence of a weight having fallen on the deceased. A verdict was returned of accidental death while he was returning to camp, hut that there was no evidence to indicate the cause.