"PURE ACCIDENT"

Taranaki Daily News, 17 September 1940, Page 4

"PURE ACCIDENT"

DEATH OF MOUNTAINEER INQUEST AT STRATFORD EVIDENCE OF EXPERTS "This was a particularly unfortunate accident, and I can only express my sympathy with the relatives and the mountain club; no blame is attachable to any member of the mountain club or anyone connected with the unfortunate occurrence," said the coroner, Mr. W. Mclnnes, when returning a verdict of accidental death at an inquest at Stratford yesterday into the death of Oswald Joseph Riley, aged 25 years. Riley was the victim of an accident in Manganui gorge, Mt. Egmont, early on Sunday afternoon, when he received mjuries which later resulted in his death in the Stratford hospital. The coroner said he could ascribe the actual death to the causes set out in the evidence of Dr. C. R. Lambert, medical superintendent of the Stratford hospital. In the evidence called from Riley s companions on the ill-fajed trip it was deduced that no-one saw or heard a piece of rock fall, but, nevertheless medical evidence and the evidence of experienced mountaineers indicated that Riley was struck by an unseen piece of rock falling from above. Oswald William Riley, lorry-dnver, Stratford, stated that his son left his home on the day of the accident in his usual good health and spirits. Opinion of Doctor. Dr. Lambert said that Riley was admitted to the Stratford hospital at 4.15 p.m. on Sunday. He was in a moribund condition, suffering from scalp wounds and a comminuted fracture of the vault nf.+he skull. The cause of death was

laceration of the brain due to fracture of the skull. The injuries were consistent with a' rock having fallen on his head. TTie injuries could not have been suffered by merely falling down on the path, but were of such a nature as to show that they could have only followed him being struck from above. Miss J. E. M. Burns, Hawera, a nurse, who was a member of the party of four, stated that the accident occurred about 200 yards from the Manganui hut. It was raining heavily at the time. She dressed Riley's head and accompanied him- to the Stratford hospital in the ambulance. Evidence of the events prior to and following the accident was also given by^ Miss Zena Molgaard, school teacher," Stratford, another member of the party. She said that she saw a piece of rock fall on the upward trip. It was not preceded by any noise, but she saw it fr.Il into the gorge. The other man in the' party. Stanley W. Dick. postal messenger, Stratford, gave similar evidence and stated that he stayed with the injured man while assistance was being obtained. He saw nothing of the rock which he- .thought struck Riley. His immediate attention was claimed by looking to the injured man. Under Overhanging Rock. Answering Mr. Rod Syme, Hawera, whd represented the Federated Mountain Clubs, Dick said the accident occurred six or seven feet past the overhanging rock, not far from the'northern entrance to the gorge. He considered that the stone or piece of rock could not have been dislodged by a climber as the height of cliff above was too steep to be traversed. The slope above the track was visible at the point of the accident. Mr. Syme pointed out that the face' above the track at tlie point described by Dick would be 50 to 100 feet high and was not part of the mountain side, but was the gorge wall. Norman John Robson, garage manager, Stratford, and a member of the Stratford Mountain Club, gave evidence of receiving the alarm at the Straftord mountain house and how he and some companions immediately motored to the plateau with a- stretcher. They met the party coming out of the gorge with an improvised stretcher hearing Riley. He was immediately laid in the car and taken to the mountain house, where he was transferred to the ambulance. Absolutely no time was lost in getting Riley from the scene of the accident to the. Stratford hospital. Replying to Mr. Mclnnes, Robson said that it was highly improbable that the rock which was believed to have struck Riley was set off by any other than natural causes. He thought it would be possible for a rock to fall clear of the cliff and strike the path. Without Warning. Although not called as a witness, Mr. j F. Addis, a member of the Stratford Mountain Club, considered from the evidence submitted that it was possible for a stone to fall clear from above without striking the cliff and thus crash down without warning. Giving information at the request of the coroner, Mr. Syme said that all mountaineers knew there was danger in Manganui gorge. Falls of rock did occur, but on rare occasions. Anyone who did not know the area might think it was safe, unless they saw rock falling. Had there been a guide at each end of the party the accident could not have been avoided. "It seems to have been one of those accidents which can only be called a pure accident," said Mr. Syme.