CORONER’S INQUEST.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VIII, Issue 676, 24 January 1852, Page 3

CORONER’S INQUEST.

An inquest was held at the Thistle Inn, Mulgrave-street, yesterday before Dr. Fitzgerald, Coroner, on the body of John Barmer, one of the band of the 65th Regiment, who was killqd by a shark while bathing in the harbour bn Thursday afternoon. The deceased, who was an expert swimmer, was fond of swimming out to a considerable distance from the shore, and on a previous occasion had been punished by extra drill for having, in venturing out too far, ran some risk of drowning through exhaustion. On Thursday after having attended with the Band at their performance during the Anniversary Sports, he went in the evening with four of his comrades to bathe at Te Aro near the Pa, the others remained in shore

but Balmer swam out towards the shipping when near the Chieftain, about three hundred yards from the shore he was seized by a voracious shark by his left leg, his shrieks quickly brought assistance but before he could be rescued from the monster he was dragged under water where he remained about a minute. When at length those who had rowed to his aid succeeded in getting him into the boat, his left thigh and leg were so dreadfully lacerated that he died from loss of blood. The following is the evidence on the Inquest:— David Allen deposed—l am a passenger on board the barque Chieftain, of London, now lying in this harbour; about a quarter past six, p.m., yesterday, January 22nd, as I was walking the poop of the vessel I observed the deceased, John Barmer, about 150 yards from the vessel, swimming in the water ; I beard him shriek violently, supposing he was attacked by a fish, I called out to some soldiers in a boat about ten yards distance from him to go to his assistance; I saw him disappear twice under water; I also saw the tail of a fish, which I supposed to be a shark of an enormous size, about 15 feet long; the water was quite discoloured with blood ; I immediately got into a boat belonging to the ship and went towards the other boat, but the deceased was in the boat when I got to it; deceased appeared quite dead when I got up to him ; the left thigh and leg was very much lacerated, and was bleeding profusely; I accompanied the boat with the deceased to the Colonial Hospital, but he died almost immediately. Robert K. Prendergast deposed—l am the Surgeon of the-65th Regt. ; I examined the deceased John Barmer yesterday, January 22, and found the left thigh and leg so extensively lacerated, with all ti e large femoral vessels torn, that death most have occurred immediately. • The Jury returned a Verdict of “ Died from lacerations inflicted on the left thigh and leg of the deceased by the bite of a shark.” We hope this melancholy event will operate as a caution to bathers during the warm weather, not to venture too far from the shore.