Coroner’s Court Boy Drowned In Lake Could Not Swim

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29802, 19 April 1962, Page 8

Coroner’s Court Boy Drowned In Lake Could Not Swim

Graeme Douglas Carron, aged 10, who was drowned at Lake Bryndwr on February 10, could not swim, said the boy’s brother, giving evidence before the Christchurch Coroner (Mr A. T. Bell) yesterday, when the inquest into the boy’s death was concluded.

The witness, Trevor Edward Carron, said that he was with his brother at the lake. He got out of the water and saw his brother standing waist deep in the water about eight feet from the bank. There were 25 to 35 other persons nearby. A quarter of an hour later, he cduld not find his brother. He informed a girl that his brother was missing, and persons began diving and looking for him. Detective-Constable A. R. Peters, who found the boy’s body, said that a face mask for seeing underwater wis not on properly. In his opinion, the boy panicked when the face mask slipped while he was in the water. The Coroner found that death was caused by asphyxia from drowning. WATERSIDER CRUSHED Evidence was given by three watersiders and a railways subforeman when the inquest into the death of Philip Anthony Randle, aged SO. a waterside worker, who died on February 17, was concluded. The evidence was that Randle was struck by a sling of coils of heavy-gauge wire, each weighing more than a ton. when the Walpawa was being unloaded at Lyttelton on February 8. Randle was taken to hospital suffering from severe crushing injuries. The Coroner found that

death was a result of shock and hemorrhage from a fracture of the pelvis suffered when he was crushed during the discharge of cargo from the Waipawa. ROAD ACCIDENTS

A verdict of death from shock from multiple injuries suffered in a road accident was returned by the Coroner in the Inquest into the death of John Gordon Williams, aged 28. The evidence was that the motor-cycle Williams was riding in Marshland road near Prestons road on June 5 was involved In a collision with a car driven by Russell Maitland Evans, aged 40. The Coroner found that Malcolm Goss aged 80. died on September 5 from a fracture of the skull and laceration of the brain, after being involved m a collision with a truck, driven by Terence William Ealam. at the Intersection of Durham street and Moorhouse avenue. Evidence was given that Goss was riding a cycle north along Durham street and Ealam was driving a truck east along Moorhouse avenue about 9 5 a.m. when the collision occurred. FELL DOWN CLIFF The inquest into the death of Raymond James Haycock, aged 19, a deckhand on the Melbourne Star, who died on February 19 after falling down a 80ft cliff at Lyttelton, was concluded. ■ Evidence was given that Haycock was climbing a hill with two other youths when the accident occurred. The cliff is near Branchley road. Haycock went a few feet down the cliff, then turnsd to climb up again, but slipped and fell 60ft on to a rock. He was admitted to the Christchurch Hospital, but died the following day. The Coroner found that death was caused by a fracture of the skull and lacerations of the .brain. SUICIDE The Coroner found that Elizabeth Hunter, a widow, aged 50. committed suicide on March 14.