“SHEER BRAVADO”

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 645, 23 April 1929, Page 16

“SHEER BRAVADO”

FOREMAN DROWNED IN WAITAKI TOOK FOOLISH RISK Press Association WELLINGTON, To-day. In consequence of various allegations against the Public Works Department with regard to the drowning of the foreman, Mr. Hoffman, at Waitaki electric works, the engineer has forwarded the following report to the Minister of Public Works, the Hon. E. A. Ransom, “in refutation of the incorrect and misleading statement which has appeared.” He says that Mr, Hoffman ordered two men to stretch a plank from the barge to a buoy in ordej to remove a piece of wire rope from the latter. It was dangerous, and the men very properly refused as there was no occasion to take such a risk when all that was necessary was to let the barge float down to the buoy. Mr. Hoffman then got astride the plank himself without taking any precautions. probably out of sheer bravado When he reached the buoy his weight tilted it, and he fell into the river, running then between six and seven miles an hour, and was drowned. As to the charge of not providing lifebelts and boats, the engineer says that two boats were in constant attendance. Six lifebelts <vere kept and it was Mr. Hoffman’s own business, as foreman, to see that one was on the barge. The fact that he neglected to do so was his own responsibility.