Sad Drowning Case.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3629, 27 March 1906, Page 2

Sad Drowning Case.

Quite a gloom was cast over Fcxton yesterday afternoon when it became known .tbat Mr Fred Eiffelbein, engineer on Levin and Co.’s launch Nina, had met his death by drowning somewhere between 2 and 3 o’clock. It was said Kiffelbein had attempted to step from punt to launch, and making a false step, thus got iato the water. He was seen to rise, but only to sink again to the depths. Dragging operations were commenced, and his body brought to the surface by Mr Feek with the aid of a grappler. Deceased, who was a resident of Union street, leaves a wife and a daughter of five years to mourn their loss. They will have the heartfelt sympathy of numerous friends. His body was taken to Gray’s Hotel. Tin? funeral will take place to-morrow.

THE INQUEST. An inquest touching the death was held at the Courthouse this morning, before Alf. Fraser, Esq., J.F., Coroner, and the following jury C. L. Barnard (foreman, W. Liddell, Wyatt Clark, J. Osboldstone, O. Langley, and Alf. Shadbolt. After the jury had., viewed the body, the first witness called was Charles Schlutze, river-boat hand, who deposed : When the accident happened at about 2 o’clock yesterday afternoon we were tying up the Nina, the deceased and myself; he stepped from the boat on to the punt; I Was Oil one end ot the punt at the time, deceased being on the other end of boat; I did not see him fall in, but I heard the splash, and saw him in the water; I ran along to other end of the punt towards where he was, and dived in after him; I only saw his hands when I dived in, but he had sunk; the undercurrent was so strong I could hardl3 r keep ntyself up; I called out when the man was in the water; when I saw I could not secure him, I held on to the rope till a boat came along ; then we got grappling irons and dragged for him for about half-an-bonr or more ; w r e could not find him, so I went home to change my clothes, and when I returned his body Was recovered. By Foreman: The body was found at the exact spot where he went down ; he did not know that deceased was subject to fits.

By Coroner: He had known deceased for about six years during which time had worked off and on with him ; I do not think anyone else saw deceased go down but myself, though two men were within hearing of me, working on the “ Kate ; ” I was in the water quarter of an hour, waiting for boat; I did not think that if more grappling irons were brought and his body recovered earlier, death could have been averted.

Thomas Foreman, seaman, de-; posed : I was. working in the' small river boat, “ Kate ” yester- ’ day afternoon about half-past two,! when I heard someone calling out; I then jumped over into- a boat with Jimmy Stewart; we stood out to the line and caught Schnltze who was in the water ; when I came on deck the head of deceased was just visible, but he went straight down and never, rose again; we took Scbultze ‘ ashore ; we secured gappling irons and went over the ground where the man was picked up three or four times ; we dragged until the irons got caught in the end of the wharf and I then went away ; did i not break rope trying to release I irons, and, so far as he knew, 1 they were there yet; I saw the ! body brought to the surface by ' Mr Peek ; I recognised the body 1 as that of “ Little Fred ” ; did not! know his other name ; deceased j was working on the smallest! launch of the lot; he did not know

its name. I Constable Whitehouse, on being :

sworn, said: At about half-past' two yesterday afternoon, Mr Sig-; nail informed me that one of his men was drowned in the river near | the wharf, I went down, and after a little delay, I got our own long grappling iron. I pulled deceased’s cap out of the water, and then dragged for the body without success ; Mr Haack then brought, along two fishing lines ; I handed over the grappling iron to Constable Lander, who got in the boat : with Mr Langley. . There w°re about five or six dragging at that time—two with fishing lines, one with a grappling iron, and others with a three-pronged anchor. We dragged for about an hour when a man named Peek drew up the body. It was about the identical spot where Peek fell in. Deceased was brought ashore by Constable Lander. He was fully clothed, with the exception of coat and hat. The body was removed to the Post Office Hotel, and stripped by Constable Lander and myself. I ex-

amined the body and no marks of violence, except a slight scratch under the left cheek-bone. Searched clothes and found is, two pipes, two knives, a piece of tobacco, a handkerchief, a loaded 22-bore cartridge, a punch, and a nail.

By Coroner : The reason of the delay in getting our own grappling irons was that they were being used by someone else. This was all the evidence.

The jury, after due deliberation, found ‘ 1 That deceased came to his death by drowning in the Manawatu river, On Monday, 26th iust., accidentally and not otherwise.” The following rider was added-'- “ The jury recommend that more grappling irons should be provided near the wharf to give greater facilities for saving life.”