UNTIMELY END

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLIV, Issue 9874, 23 July 1923, Page 5

UNTIMELY END

THE TINWALD TRAGEDY.

CORONER’S ENQUIRY.

LOSS OF BLOOD AND CRUSHING.

The circumstances of the distressing death of Henry Bennett Rountree, the young man who lost his life during treefelling operations at Tinwald on luesday last, were enquired into by the Coroner (Mr J. Cow) this morning. Joseph Rountree, father of the deceased, said his son ' v us 26 years of ace. On the morning of the lvth inst. deceased was felling trees, together with his cousin. Witness was a chain and a half from a tree they were felling, when he heard the tree fall and heard a scream. Deceased was knocked down and was pinned by the trunk. He was hidden by the branches, lying on his side. Witness seized an axe to assist in chopping away t%e branches. He was held down by pressure on his hip and his face was the only part visible, but he said he was all right. There was a small branch pressing on deceased, and witness, hitting at this with the axe, missed and cut deceased s leg They started to saw the branch through to take the weight off deceased, and as soon as this was done he collapsed. When the axe slipped deceased said: “ You’ve cut my leg, but he seemed to be all right. Ihe blood did not seem to flow very freely from the cut. The tree was 30£ inches thick. . Charles William Bennett said he was with deceased when the tree fell on him. Deceased called out as it tell: “ It’s coming back.” He was pinned down on his side, as he must have tripped when he started to run away from the tree, which slewed round and rolled off its stump. He called out: “ It’s caught me.” One could just see deceased as be lay among the branches. Deceased’s father came up, and Henry said there was a branch hurting his leu This branch, which was broken by tbe fall, was sticking into deceased s leg Deceased’s father lifted this branch up. and that gave deceased some relief. Witness then went for assistance, and when lie got back they started to saw the tree through. Witness did not know then that deceased had been cut by tbe axe. Deceased said: “I’m all right, but burry up and get the trunk off.” As soon as this was done be seemed to collapse. His left leg was doubled up under him Before the tree trunk was removed witness could not see deceased s leg. and in the circumstances it would have been very hard for anyone to see where lie was cutting. The only chance of relieving deceased appeared to be to cut the branch which 'Was sticking into him. Excessive Loss of Blood.

Dr. J Conner, who was called to the scene of the ‘accident, said that shortly after noon on the 17th he went to'l)n--wald, and found deceasod in a dying condition. Witness tried to restore deceased with an injection, and placea a tourniquet on deceased’s leg, but he died a minute or two later. He had bruises over the back of the pelvis nud buttocks, and a deep wound at the back of tire right thigh. TheTe would be a good deal of bleeding this wound, arid probably internal injuries from the crushing of the pelvis. Continuing witness said deceased was in a collapsed condition and practically pulseless from loss of blood. Death was due to excessive loss or blood and internal injuries. The Verdict.

The verdict was that deceased died, having been crushed by a falling tree, and according to the medical evidence death was due to crushing and loss of blood. The sad circumstances of the affair called for more than an oidimiry verdict, stated the Coroner, and it was safe to -say that no accident m this County for a long time past mei ited more 'fuTlv sincere sympathy horn all part?, of the country. He had received many messages of sympathy to be sent to the bereaved relatives, who bad the condolences -of the entire district. In view of the'fact that lie had known the deceased from birth, the Coroner added his personal sympathy. It was indeed unfortunate that the deceased hurl gone through the late war and then’had met smell an untimely end.