CORONER’S COURT FATAL FALL FROM SEE-SAW

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32885, 7 April 1972, Page 18

CORONER’S COURT FATAL FALL FROM SEE-SAW

A nine-year-old boy who fell from a see-saw in the Cashmere Playground on January 25 was found to have died the same day as a result of intracranial haemorrhage, the Christchurch district Coroner (Mr E. B. E. Taylor) found on Wednesday. The boy was Ciaran Matthew Pawson, a son of Mr and Mrs O. J. Pawson, of Huntsbury Avenue. Constable William McCallum said the child fell from a banana-shaped see-saw about 4 p.m. on the day he died. The see-saw had a seat at each end. It had previously had two handles but the one on the end from which the child fell had apparently been broken off a few days previously. He said two car tyres were set into the ground to act as shock absorbers. At its highest point each end would be about five feet from the ground. “The see-saw should have been quite safe even with the handle missing as there was plenty of room for a person to get a good grip around the steel beam on the equipment.” He said the see-saw was later unbolted and taken to the Heathcote County Council's yard for repairs. The child's brother, Quinn Pawson, was on the other end when Ciaran fell. Mr R. A. Young, who appeared on behalf of the Heathcote County Council, said the playground was inspected regularly by council employees. It was, however, frequently the scene of vandalism, and the damage had been caused in this way between inspections. FALL FROM HORSE A rider who feU from a horse during a training ran at Yaldhurst on December 25 was found to have died the same day as a result of severe head injuries. He was Jeffrey Robert Currie, yed 32. Joseph Hill, aged 39, a freezing worker, said he was training two horses on a Ya’uDmrxt property on December 25 when Mr Currie fell from one of them. He said they were on the fourth round of the track when

Mr Currie called out from be hind, “I’m going to fall, pal I’m going to fall.** He though Mr Cume was joking and tool no notice. “Next thing I saw waa bli horse running past without him I was going reasonably fast al the time, but I would not know what speed. I looked back ant saw Jeff lying in the middle 01 the track. He was on his bad with his arms out wide.” The witness said he though l Mr Currie was just knocked ou and he stayed with him unti the ambulance arrived. “I don’t know how or why h< fell off the horse. It Is posslbli that the horse may have klcket him as he fell, or he could hav< fallen on a stone. After the fal the horse was found to be pro perly saddled.” He said Mr Currie was an ex perienced rider in both saddler trots and galloping. He had als< ridden in rodeos. Mr Currie was not wearing i safety helmet at the time of th< accident. DROWNING IN RIVER A child who fell Into a dee; water hole at the "Willows” picnfi area, Halkett, on December 3: was found to have died as a re suit of asphyxia caused b; drowning. She was Lorraini Frances HiskemuUer, aged seven a daughter of Mr and Mrs Hiske muller, of Colombo Street. Constable Keith Alexandei Munro, of Darfteld, said he re covered the child’s body from i 10ft deep water hole in the rlvei after dragging it with a grappb hook for more than an hour. “I noted that the bottom ant edges of the pool are eoverec with soft river silt mud ant very slippery at the partlculai section of the pool where th< children had been playing. "The bottom of the pool drop, very quickly and sharply awa’ into a 10ft hole,” he said. DRIVER KILLED Aubrey Noel Lee, aged 50 died as a result of multiple in juries on December 8. The in juries were suffered when a cai driven by Roger Winston Cole man in which Mr Lee was travel Ung as a passenger ran off th< Weedons Road that day. Evidence was given that i blood sample contained 228 mill! grams of alcohol per 100 mill! litres of blood. CAR STRUCK POLE Gavin James Montgomery aged 26, died on December 27 a Barry’s Bay. The cause of deatl was severe head injuries suf fered when the car which h< was driving struck a pole on th< DuvaucheUe Hill road the sam< day. PASSENGER KILLED Catherine Margaret Bray, age< 29, was found to have died as i result of multiple severe injuriei on September 18. The Injurie; were suffered when a car drivel by her husband, David Johi Bray, ran off the Bealey road Hororata, that day.

>- ELECTRIC SHOCK J» Ho Van Kim Cuong, aged 20, J died at Burwood Hospital on De- ‘ cember 28. The cause of death was cardiac arrest caused by s toxaemia from 70 per cent burns ■ and electric shock. v Evidence was given by Mrs 1 Kathleen Wright with whom Mr f Cuong, a university student, had k been boarding. She said she saw Mr Cuong fall from the platform t of an 11,000-volt electrical transt former on a pole in Russley Road I on December 26. e Warren Sydney Strong, an e electrical engineer, said arc j burns on the equipment were e consistent with Mr Cuong hav-

Ing come within the area of the l high-tension terminals. i- DROWNING h Carmen Zeta Green, aged 53 y was found to have died from s drowning on January 5 in a creek running through a property in Redwood Place. ? SUICIDES a Edwin William Hand, aged 39, died as a result of carbon mon- . oxide poisoning on or about . January 31, having committed 4 suicide. Ingeborg Anna Marla Moore, aged 47, was found to have died a at Rossall Street on January 15, c having committed suicide. The e cause of death was multiple in- '■ ternal injuries.