CORONER’S COURT Tramper drowned

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34111, 25 March 1976, Page 18

CORONER’S COURT Tramper drowned

A young woman who went tramping alone in the Arthur’s Pass National Park last November probably drowned shortly after she got off the railcar, the Christchurch Coroner (Mr E. B. E. Taylor) was told yesterday.

When her body was found in a riverbed her pack was still on her back and appeared not to have been opened. She was Vera Julia Ostash, aged 20, a student at Lincoln College. Helen Ostash, of Addington, the mother of the young woman, said that her daughter had been a keen tramper while at Hillmorton High School and had been a member of the Peninsula Tramping Club for six months.

On November 8 she had travelled by railcar to Arthur’s Pass. She had intended to go up the Edwards River, over the Tarahuna Pass, down the Otahuke River, past Lake Kaurapataka and then to Teramakau to the Main Road. She was due to have returned to Christchurch on November 13 or 14 to go to the A. and P. show.

Her daughter had intended to stay in huts on her trip, said Mrs Ostash. She had had enough food for six days.

Constable D. A. Webb had earlier said that on November 17 he was told of a tramper that had gone missing. The tramper had got off the railcar near the junction of the Mingha River and the Bealey River at 8.30 a.m. nine days before. He flew up the Bealey River in a helicopter and spotted the woman’s pack about half a mile from where she got off the railcar.

He later found that the pack was still attached to the woman’s body and appeared not to have been opened. The body had been a shingle patch in the middle of the river. Constable Webb had said that she had been in the water some time. On November 7 there had been heavy rain and ail rivers had been running high.

The woman had not told the ranger of her intended trip.

Dr P. R. Kelleher, a pathologist, said that the woman’s death was consistent with drowning.

ESTUARY DROWNING A 10-year-old boy who drowned in the Estuary at South Brighton on Januarv 1. had only been In ankle-deep' water when he fell into a fast-flowing current and | was swept away. The bov was Murray Stuart Blair, of ’Lenton Street. Christichurch. Sergeant T. C. Blumberg said i that Murray had been fishing with three other boys on a mud j flat about 100 yards north of the bridge on Bridge Street. South Brighton, about 2.10 p.m. They had crossed to an Island at low’ tide and were leaving that island when the accident happened. ~ Murray had been m ankledeep water when he fell in and was swept out of his depth by fast-flowing water. “He disappeared close to a deep water hole with the characteristics of a whirlpool.’’ said Sergeant Blumberg. Three older boys went to save him but he disappeared under the water quickly. . The boy’s body was recovered two hours later about 50 yards downstream. DRESS BURNED A 62-year-old Oarnaru woman whose nylon dress caught fire while she was in a shed at the back of her home on January 11. died at Burwood Hospital four days later suffering from severe burns. She was Marion McClue, of Orwe! IStreet. Oarnaru. Robert McClue, the woman’s husband, said that he had been mowing the lawn when his wife called from a rear shed. He found that her clothing was burnt and still burning. Mr McClue said that when he later looked in the shed the onlv thing he could find disturbed was a box of matches. His wife had been receiving treatment for a nervous complaint. CONCUSSED IN FALL A boy who fell from a track near the Sign of the Bellbird later died in Christchurch Hospital suffering from gross head injuries. „ He was Andrew Campbel! Hickmott, aged 16, of Merivale Lane. Kenneth Walter Hickmott, the boy’s father, had earlier said that on January 22 his family had gone for a walk on the Ellis Track off the Summit Road, about 1.20 p.m. His son went to climb up the hillside from the track and cross down the other side of the hill to the Summit Road, instead of following the track around the road. His son had been wearing sandshoes. Mr Hickmott said that he reached the Summit Road and still had not seen his son. He had thought that his son might have been playing a joke and hiding in the grass. When lie went to look for his son he finally found him lying on a track 150 ft below'. The bov was taken to hospital but died the next day. He never regained consciousness. DRUG POISONING Michael Walter Mark Prendeville. aged 41, of New Brighton Road, died at his home on January 10, suffering from barbiturate and alcohol poisoning. Evidence was given that Mr Prendeville had for the previous 18 months been in a lot of pain as a result of a fall down a mineshaft and a serious injury’ to his neck. He had been prescribed valium, butazidan, and mogadon. About 2 a.m. on January 101 he arrived home and appeared ‘ drunk. He was last seen alive

at 5 a.m. and was found dead in his bed at 11.45 p.m. Two capsules of amatal sodium were found beside his bed.

His sister. Dominica Theresa ■ Archer, told the Coroner that her brother had taken from her a bottle of her prescribed arnaI tai sodium tablets. He had been I trying to encourage her to stop i taking pills. J Joan Edeline Prendeville -aid (that her husband iiad often ■ taken pills and drunk alcohol to i relieve the pain front his ne k injury. He had been a man who ( enjoyed life. MOTOR-CYCLIST KILLED A motor-cyclist who rode In'to a cower pole at Redcliffs on Januarv 12 died in Christchurch (Hospital the following day suffering from gross head injuries. He was Eric Joseph Irvine Watson, aged 22. of Linwood. Constable D. C. Hay said the accident occurred about 10.20 p.m. outside 250 Main Road. (Redcliffs. Mr Watson who had been travelling towards the . • I had overtaken two cars while riding at an estimated speed of 50 m.p.h. He was turning a bend at 'he Christchurch Yacht Club when his motor-cycle struck a pole on the left side of the t-oad. He ended up 50 metres from the pole. The accident had probably bren the result of excessive speed, causing Mr Watson to lose control. It had been fine and clear at the time, said Constable Hay. INMATE’S DEATH Maxwell Rowland, aged 58. died In Paparua Prison on December 17 suffering front acute heart failure due to coronary atherosclerosis. _ _ . Senior Prison Officer R M J. Mason said that on December 17 Mr Rowland reported sick and was put to bed in his cell. Tite medical officer of the prison w-as called. However, Mr Row land had diff culty in breathing and started to fade. He was resuscitated with oxygen but died a short time later. Mr Rowland had been taking pills for angina for a number of years, said Officer Mason. HAD CLOT Robert Hogarth Harrison, aged 71, died on January 3, as the result of a massive pulmonary embolus icloti. The Coroner found that his death was probably the result of an accident at Denton Park in December. Wavne Edmund Cuthbertson, a clerk, had earlier told the Court that he had been in a sprint race at Denton Park on December 13 when he saw MHarrison In front of him on the track. His bicycle hit Mr Harrison who was later admitted to hospital. Dr P. R. Kelleher said that Mr Harrison's death “most like'y occurred as a result of the accident.” DIED IN OPERATION Annie Mabe! Field, aged 79. died In Christchurch Hospital on January 2 suffering from acute heart failure due to gross atherosclerosis and an operation. Dr C. IL Atkinson, a house surgeon, said that Mrs Field died during an operation to investigate a bowel obstruction. She had been suffering from abdominal pain for some time. Dorothv Violet Evans, aged «2, died at the Princess Margaret Hospital on January 15 during an operation on her right lung The Coroner found that she had died from a haemorrhage from the superior vena-cava associated with, the operation.