SAD DROWNING ACCIDENT

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4423, 5 June 1922, Page 2

SAD DROWNING ACCIDENT

WORKMAN LOSES HIS LIFE.

Early on Friday night, while at work on the dredge on the Waihou River, one of th,e workmen, Stephen Hughes, fell off one of the pontoons and was drowned. Upon receiving word Constable McClinchy set off to the scene of the accident. Dragging operations were carried on and the body was recovered early on Saturday afternoon. The constable then reported the matter .to the coroner and arrangements were made for the inquest. THE INQUEST. The inquest on the body was held at the Courthouse at 3 p.m-. on Sunday, before Mr. W. M. Wallnutt, district coroner. Mr Montague appeared on behalf of the relatives:, Sergeant O’Grady conducted the case for the police, and the Public Works Department was represented by Mr. L. May. Mrs. Ethel Hughes, widow of the deceased, identified the body as that of; her late husband. He had been employed for a year and nine months on the dredge. They had six children. When deceased left for work he was in the best of health.

Hiram Cropton, a fellow-workman of deceased’s, and engaged on the pontoon, said that when the accident happened they were connecting electric light from one portion of the pontoon to another, and in the meantime an ordinary oil lamp was used. Deceased was a few yards away from him when he heard a splash and cries for help. He and Mr. Fox ran for a boat and Mr. Young stripped oft and jumped into the water. The deceased was ’struggling in the water and drifted down very Quickly, and before Mr. Young could get to hijn he disappeared. The accident occurred, in his opinion, in stepping from one pontoon to another. It was very dark, the only light being from a hurricane lamp. The connection from one pontoon to another was two stout chains, in addition to a 9in plank.

Donald Young, an engineer to the Public Works Department, Paeroa, employed on the dredge, said he was on duty on the dredge on Friday, June 2, and was assisting on the pontoon with deceased and Fox. They were shifting one pontoon on to another pontoon. The electric light on the pontoon was cut off. There were two electric lights, on the dredge which threw light on the pontoon. There were hurricane lamps on the pontoons. He heard deceased’s cry for help and immediately jumped inBefore he got to him decased had disappeared. The night was very dark. Deceased was also engaged removing the pontoon. It was usual lo step from one plank to another. The electric light was cut off for the time being. To Mr. Montague: Deecased was in good health. It would not be difficult to fall off a plank on a dark night. He would have to take great care. Deceased was not asked to crocs from one plank to another as there was.no need for him to do so. To Mr May, Public Works Engineer : He did not know the power of the eletcric light; probably it would be 300 candle-power. Both pontoons were well lighted up.

To Mr. Montague, witness said the object of having a hurricane lamp was to get down to see the joint o’ the pipe. In answer to the coroner witness said he had always found deceased a very steady man. John Fox, employed on the dredge, said he was assisting in shifting a pontoon with the engineer and deceased. Deceased was in the same ponto'on as witness for a while. Witness saw deceased crossing over to the other pontoon. He heard cries for help some time afterwards. Mr. Cropton and he went and got a boat, but deceased had disappeared. To Mr. Mont,ague: He had been working on the dredge since last October. He had on occasions to cross oven a plank from one pontoon to another. It was a usual thing to cross over a plank from one pontoon to another, but one had to be vety careful. He had had one or two narrow escapes. He found deceased a very careful and reliable man.

In answer .to t.he coroner witness thought there should be another plank or a wider plank. To Mr. May: He did not know why deceased crossed over from one pontoon to another, but it was probably to have a look at the ropes.

To Sergt. O’Grady: He had never heard deceased complain about the width of the plank, and he had neVer asked the engineer to put. in wider plcnks.

Constable McClinchy, sworn, said that re received information .that a man had fallen off the (hedge. He immediately made arrangements for dragging for the body, and after dragging for some time .the body was recovered in about 18 feet of water. He searched deceased and found £2O 5s in his hip pocket.

. To Mr. Montague : Deceased was a steady, straightforward, hard-working man He considered a person would have to be careful in crossing ".he planks, as they were very narrow. It would be very easy to fall off in broad daylight and he thought it was dangerous to work at night-time. To Mr. May :Men had complanied to him on .a previous occasion about the planks being too narrow.

To Sergt. O’Grady: He did not know the nanies of the men who made the complaint- It was not any of the men Who were working on the dredge at present. Constable McClinchy stated that the engineer and overseer and every man employed by the Public Works Department gave every possible assistance.

William Dykes said he was dredgemaster of the dredge working in the Waihou river. The pontoons were connected by two chains. The distance between .the pontoons was about four feet. Sometimes there were planks from one pontoon to another. He had never had any complaints about the narrowness of planks. The planks were all about 12in wide. To Mr. Montague : He visited the dredge about once a week, and had never had any complaints. He hal not been down there lately at night.

He thought that a man could step across from one pontoon to another, on a four-foot plank.

Tn answer to the coroner Mr. Dykes stated that he considered that the planks were a bit too narrow and that another should be put alongside.

After reviewing the evidence the coroner returned the following verdict : “That deceased met his death from drowning in the Waihou River by falling off a pontoon whilst following his usual occupation." He added a rider recommending a further supply of planks.