WHAKA TRAGEDY

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 278, 19 July 1932, Page 2

WHAKA TRAGEDY

INQUEST CONCLUdEi NO DELAY DISCLOSED I IN DESPATCHING 8 AMBULANCE. 2 A DANGEROUS SPOT. I The inquest concernmg the death *1 Edward Roy Baxter, who was fatij scaldsd at Whakarewarewa on Jul* was resumed by Mr. S. L. Patersc ■ S.M., yesterday morning, for the p-!B pose of clearing up apparent disj pancies in regard to the actual lj of the accident. JK Tbe first witness called was Dr « S. Wallis, v/ho said that so faj I he could recollect he received a tf® phone call about 1 or 1.30 a.ni. -j| at once rang up for the ambulahee H , William Frank Powell, garagelB 'tendant at. the R.M. Transport garaS ■said ;ha,Jecei^(L,^,ring from 9 , Wallis at 1.15 a.m. and was". on 9 road with th'e ambulance five wiJ later. . He passed a car on the :9 ,out to Whaka, near the aerodrc9 'and on arrival at the pa was toi] {|9 ,a- ear had left with the injured Lawrence Denaher, contractor -81 he reached the dance hall at l/zfl night and saw Baxter and Cyril Sipfl in the hall. Two or tbree minutea9 ter, these two men left the hall • :9 last dance was called, and lasted alS ten minutes. He had just gone cfi side the hall at 12.3-0, when he h'9 the sereams and ran toward the p'l Three people were with deceasei'fH partially removing the man's clot9 they found he was badly gCa]9j Smith rang. up a car and one 0f S girls brought some butter, which tS ruhbed on the man's body, and he 9 then removed by car. w Gladys G. Kerr, a domestic erap';9 ed at Brent's, , .said she went rB three other girls, Baxter and St9 to the dance at Whaka after the 9 tures. She was not sure of th'e 9' Baxter left the hall to order si9 and said she was not aware of t/9 cident until informed of it. The 9 tures came out about 10.30, an9 took about 10 minutes to collect9 ceased and Smith. They had had9 order supper and several while9 eral dances before deceased veu9 was away. There had been no &9 ing at the party. fi Need for Protection. fi Mr. Paterson found th'at deee9 met his death through shoek ca9 by falling into a hot pool. 9 further held that situated as'i9 the p'ool was a danger and in con9 tion with the raised water pipe9 stituted a trap, which should he 9 ced by the local authority in co9 The matter of times had beenc9 ed up satisfactorily. Appai9 Smith h'ad been confused and ifi had been no delay in sending9 ambulance. fi