MANGATAPU FATALITY.

Putaruru Press, Volume VI, Issue 268, 24 December 1928, Page 4

MANGATAPU FATALITY.

OLD EMPLOYEE KILLED. Inquest on Victim. The inquest on.the death of Gustav Heckt, who was killed in the Selwyn hush on Tuesday, December 14, was held at Mangatapu oft Wednesday be-

fore Mr, J. W’. Barr Brown, J.P., district coroner. Constable Cotter handled the case for the police. Arthur s .Clarence Olsen, busbman, said hei Was- employed by the. Selwyn Timber: Company and was deceased’s mate in. the bush. On the day. in question Witness was working with deceased and the Woodcocks. - At about half past three they had fallen a tree, which had caught on another tree and brought it down by the roots. They then proceeded to cut the top of the tree at the point where it crossed the uprooted tree, leaving one end of the log about four feet from the ground and resting on top of the fallen tree. Deceased, Woodcock and witness were fixing a strop round the end of the log, with deceased standing underneath assisting to fasten the strop, when the log rolled dear, pinning his hand. They immediately liberated deceased’s hand but he’ was then to all appearances dead. Deceased was a skilled man at that class of work and the men generally took their orders from him. When witness cut the log he tried to push it off and as it .would not. move he considered it was quite safe to carry out the usual work of fastening on the strop so that the log could be hauled away. In witness’ opinion the whole occurrence was a pure accident with no blame attachable to anyone. There was no warning of the log moving. The method used was the same as that used in all other bushes. The deceased did not speak but only groaned when the log fell on him. Deceased was a careful man and would not have got under the log had he thought there was any danger. Ernest Woodcock, who was present when the accident occurred, said he had been employed by the company as bushman for the past eight years. He understood that deceased had been with the company for about 20 years. On the day of the accident witness was working in the bush with deceased, Olsen and witness’ son. When the log fell witness nearly fell on deceased. Witness did not consider Heckt was taking any risk when he got under the log to fix the strop. The whole thing happened in a few seconds. Witness said he had been employed in other bushes for about 15 years before coming to Mangatapu and the methods used were the same. There was always a certain amount of risk in bush work, especially- when the hauler was being attached to logs as in this case. When witness was assisting to carry deceased to the tramline he noticed that deceased’s chest was crushed and that there were marks on the neck. The weight of the log was about eight tons.

No other witnesses were called and the coroner returned a verdict that deceased was killed by a log rolling on him at Mangatapu on December 14, the whole occurrence being purely accidental, there being no blame attachable to anyone.