YOUTH KILLED BY STINGING NETTLE

Press, Volume C, Issue 29707, 28 December 1961, Page 10

YOUTH KILLED BY STINGING NETTLE

Companion Still In Hospital (New Zealand Press Association) DANNEVIRKE, December 27. A young man has died and his companion hovered close to death .for some time in Dannevirke Hospital after walking through a patch of Ongaonga native stinging nettle in badc country near Dannevirke. Both men were wearing shorts and at first took little notice of the stings when they wandered through the patch of nettles, but after a while both became drowsy and one collapsed.

The dead youth was John Dyer, aged 19, a farmhand, of Pahiatua. His companion on the shooting expedition, Theo Cresswell, aged 20, of Dannevirke, was admitted to hospital in a critical condition, but he is now progressing satisfactorily. When Mr Cresswell tried to go for help after Mr Dyer collapsed he found his legs were paralysed. When the two young men did not return at a reasonable hour on Sunday night, a search party was sent out. They heard Mr Cresswell’s cries and found the two shooters at 9.30 p.m. Both men were in bad condition. Paralysed They were paralysed and had to be carried out to Te Rehunga, where an ambulance took them on to Dannevirke Hospital. They were admitted at 12.40 a.m. The hospital used all known antidotes but their condition continued to deteriorate. Both young men lapsed into unconsciousness and Mr Dyer died five hours after admission. From his hospital bed Mr Cresswell today described how he dragged Mr Dyer out of the bush, lit a fire to try to keep his companion warm, and then crawled on until he met some of the search party. Mr Cresswell said: “We left home at 6.30 p.m., clad in shorts and shirts. I had a cardigan. For a while we wandered round the tops of the hills, but seeing no pigs or deer, went into the bush at the top of Kumeti road, going towards Woodville. “We went up a ridge and along the top. It was getting

late, so we looked tor the eaiest way down to a creek. We made our way down, but the going was tough. We got hot and tired. “I remember going through a lot of sting nettle, and felt a series of pricks. “Our arms felt lumpy under the skin and our legs also also felt swollen. “We got some of the way down, when John suggested we have a spell. “He was not feeling well, and complained of severe stomach ache. “At that time we both thought he was suffering from exhaustion. “John lay down and partial paralysis had set in. He complained of backache. His chest was tight and he could not breathe properly. His body was so painful I could not touch him. “After about an hour I tried to rouse him, but he told me to go on without him. “I refused, and partly dragged and carried him for about an hour until we reached the creek bed. Unable to Swallow “John wanted water, but he could not swallow. “It was about 9 p.m., when I felt sick and had the same symptoms as John, although he had gone blind, ’and I could only see with an effort. “I lit a fire with my handkerchief and some small twigs. “Once we were out of the bush I covered John with my cardigan. “We agreed to stay there till morning, but I thought of my wife and family and made an effort to get out. I had dragged myself about 10 chains when I met my wife and a neighbouring farmer. The farmer said he had been stung by the nettle about a month before and had felt symptoms similar to ours.” Mr Cresswell said that if he had stayed by the small fire instead of making the final effort, he was quite convinced “two bodies would have been found there next morning.” The pair were stung extensively on arms and lags, also through their clothes. “I have had the odd nettle sting before.” he said, “but it has not had the same effect.” Mr Cresswell was sitting up in bed this morning. “My hands and arms still feel slightly numb,” he said, "and I have lost my sense of taste.” A Dannevirke Hospital doctor said he could only assume Mr Dyer’s death had been due to the toxic effect of stinging nettle.