DROWNING FATALITY.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 365, 31 May 1911, Page 5

DROWNING FATALITY.

-- By Telegraph. Special to Chronicle. O!oro11an ga, Yeaterday. The body of a man found in the VVaitonm creek on Monday night by Messrs Burster and C'rnilil3 has been identified as that of .John Cundy, a carpenter of Otorohanga. Ho had been sick for .some time, and was seen wandering about for two days. The body was brought tu •'. Uoro'mmga yesterday, where the inquest was held. At the inquest, the jury brought in a verdict of accidental death by diowning, no blame being attachable to anyone. Mr l\ Challis was the principle witness, who, with Mr J. M.* Forster, of Waitomo, had found tim body in the Waitomo creek above the caves. It appears that the deceased must have fallen into the creek from a narrow part of the road, and dropped about thirty feet, hitting his brad on the rocks below, and thus partially stunning him. He was found with his hand firmly grasping a branch of a snag in the river. His chance of getting out of the swollen creek was considerably lessened hy his wearing a heavy oilskin. Mr A. U'atts, of O'orohanga, with whom the deceased had resided for three years, in his evidence, said that Cundy had been in very indifferent health for some time.

The funeral took place this afternoon.