OVERTURNED CRAFT.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 51, 2 March 1926, Page 3

OVERTURNED CRAFT.

CAPSIZE OF THE AVALON. ' YACHTSMAN WHO COULD SWIM. i Two colonial inquest; were held before Mr. W. R. McKean to-day. ! Tho circumstancca touching the death of Edward Hillard Horlock, who was ! drowned ;is the result of the accidental overturning of a boat on Sunday, were 1 inquired into. Krnest Frederick Fellows, one of the crew of the Avalon 11., said that, at the time of the accident, there were four on board the boat. They were sailing between St. Helier's and Kohimarama, and there was a good strong breeze blowing. The wind was changing round, and a sudden squall caught them. The sea was rough and the boat capsized, Witness did not notice whether deceased was struck by the boom. He saw deceased in the water and he was calling out and Ftrugpli-ng. He was withiu about a foot of the mast at the time. The boat was tnrninj: over and over with the tide. Witness did not know that deceased could not swim. Before ] they went out. deceased told him that ihe could not swi-m. but witness thought that deceased was joking. Witness wa? caught by the boat and carried under I the water. When he came up again. ,he lost sight of diseased. Witness wai j skipper of the boat and had had three 1 years' experience in aH kinds of weather 'The overturning of the boat was due Ito a gust of wind. I Constable Thompson said that he, in. j company with t-hr-ee -others, dragged the I vicinity where deceased was last seer, and they recovered the body in aboutI 17ft of water. Deceased was fully 'clothed, with die. exception of hat and i boots. There was a graze on his face and across his nose. I The Coroner returned a verdict thai ! death was due to drowning, caused hy I the accidental overturning of the boat jin which deceased was sailing. j Heart Failure. I An inquest was held on the body o£ ! Walter logins, aged 40, who died suddenly early on Sunday morning. I George Durham, a labourer, residing 'at 210. Hoteon Street, said he had ! known deceased for three months and i had lived in the same boardinghouse. At midnight on Sunday deceased went to his room, said he was feeling ill. and asked witness to get a doctor. He fell i forward into the room. Witness obf : ned assistance and they carried dej ceased to his own room. He appeared [to be unconscious and died almost im- ; mediately. Dr. Drury arrived soon and said that the man was dead. Witness had seen deceased during I Sunday and he appeared to be all right. jHe had often complained of & pain iv the. chest. I Dr. D. X. "W. Murray, who made * ! post-mortem examination of deceased, J said that the man died from heart \ failure. ! The verdict returned was in accord- ' ance with the medical evidence.