FATAL FALL FROM TREE.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19889, 28 March 1930, Page 22

FATAL FALL FROM TREE.

EVIDENCE AT INQUEST. An inquest'into the death of Lennox Robert Wilson, aged 53, of Cuffs road, Sandilands, who died in the Christchurch Hospital on Wednesday afternoon, as a result of injuries received when ho fell from a tree on the estate of Mr George Humphreys, Fendalton, waa held yesterday evening before the Coroner, Mr H. P. Lawry . Augusta Elise, widow ot deceased, giving evidence of identification, said that her husband left home at 8 a.m. on Wednesday to go to work. He was then in good health. When next she saw him he was lying unconscious at the Christchurch Hospital. Clarence Martin, of 89 Canon street, a bushfeller, said that Wilson was engaged in lopping branches off a tree, at 3 o'clock on Wednesday afternoon. Witness was controlling the direction of the falling branches from the ground, while Wilson was standing on a branch at the top of the tree. Witnew noticed what he thought was a branch falling, but his view was obscured by the trunk of the tree. Immediately after he was summoned by Prank Ridder, who was also employed -on the estate, and, be went round the tree. He found Wilson lying unconscious on the ground. A doctor was called, and Wilson was taken to the hospital. In witness's opinion death was due to an accident, as they had all the requisite gear for treefelling, and Wilson was highly skilled at hia work. There was a nor'-west wind blowing at the time of the accident.

Edith Lillian Cook, married, of 8 Rochdale etreot, Fendalton, said that she was looking out of the front window, of her house on Wednesday afternoon, and she noticed a man about three-quarters of the way up a tree, on Mr George Humphreys' estate. Another man was standing on the ground, and he was evidently controlling a rope, which was tied on to a branch of the tree, and tied at the other. end to a stake on the ground. She noticed Wilson move from this branch co another and give the signal, probably for the first branch to be pulled away. When the branch fell it swung round and knocked Wilson over. He somersaulted several times, and fell on his head in the grass on the footpiith. The verdict returned was that Wilson died at the Christchurch Hospital on March 26th, the caus6 of death being fracture of the skull and laceration of the brain, caused by an accidental fall from a tree on the property of Mr George Humphreys.