SEA-ROPE WARNING

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33230, 21 May 1973, Page 2

SEA-ROPE WARNING

'From Out Ou.n K«port«rJ

GREYMOUTH, May 20.

The use of off-shore wire ropes was dangerous, said the Greymouth District Coroner (Mr D. H. Copeland, J.P.), when conducting inquests into the deaths of Noel Thomas Wright, of Runanga, and Douglas Roland McSherry and Douglas Timothy McSherry, both of Nelson.

The three were plunged into the sea at Twelve Mile, north of Greymouth, last October 21 when a wire rope, stretching from the shore to rocks about seven chains out to sea, broke.

The body of Douglas Ronald McSherry, aged 15, was discovered on the beach later

; the same day, but the bodies of his father and Mr Wright (have never been found.

j “The ropes used for this purpose are rarely, if ever i new when erected, and the [action of the sea air only [weakens them more quickly.” ' said the Coroner. “The danger to life is not jonly to the person who originally erected the apparatus, .hut to subsequent users who [innocently assume that the rope is safe. I “If there is a regulation [covering the installation and subsequent safety inspections [of apparatus such as this, it [should be enforced for the [safety of all concerned. "1 would be failing in my i dutv if 1 do not draw the attention of the Minister of Marine to the evidence with a view to considering what i steps might be taken to avoid similar accidents,” said the Coroner. I A witness, George William

Ewen, said that Mr Wright called at his home at Twelve Mile about 10.30 a.m. on October 21 for two chairs to be used on the ropeway.

"Later I saw the three of them go down the track to the ropeway. When I realised that they had not returned I went to see what had happened. When I found the outer cable broken I informed the police,” he said.

Adrian Keith Warren, senior engineer-surveyor for the Marine Department in Greymouth, said he had inspected a broken piece of cable and found that it had corroded to the extent of being able | to hold only its own weight of about 5001 b at the point wh°re the rope parted. The Coroner found that Douglas Roland McSherry was drowned on October 21, and that the other two men died, presumed drowned, at Twelve Mile bluff on the same date.