Early-morning trip ended in tragedy

Press, 18 September 1976, Page 4

Early-morning trip ended in tragedy

After two men had drunk about three jars of beer while watching the first rugby test on television, they had gone out in a dinghy on the Estuary, using two sawn-off pieces of wood for oars, the Coroner’s Court was told yesterday. Neither man could swim, and when the boat capsized, one of them — Keith Wilson Steel aged 39 — drowned. The other man, Allan Leslie Silcock, aged 31, managed to reach a sand bank and was rescued, suffering from shock and exposure. The Coroner (Mr E. B. Taylor) found that Mr Steel had died through asphyxiation from drowning. Mr Silcock told the Court that on the evening of July 24, he and his wife had gone to the Steel home for a meal and to stay the night, so that they could watch the test. After the match, they had made themselves hamburgers, and the two men had then decided to go rowing in a dinghy on the Estuary. Because the aluminium dinghy had no oars, they had cut three lengths of 4 x 1 timber. The tide was on the way out, there was no wind, and the weather was fine and calm. Once out in the Estuary, they had watched the lights. They had a bottle of beer with them in the boat, he said.

“The next thing I remember was that I was under the boat,” Mr Silcock said. “Neither of us were swimmers, and there was nothing to hold on to.”

“We didn’t panic, and held on to each other, trying to keep our heads above water, but we seemed to be pulling each other under. We let go of each other and I lost him,” Silcock said.

“Then I saw him drifting past on his back. He didn’t

say anything. I didn’t see him after that.”

Constable W. J. T. Gordon, of the New Brighton police, said that he had been called to the scene by a woman who had heard a cry for help. He had put out into the Estuary in a boat, and Mr Silcock had been rescued from a sand bank and taken to hospital. Mr Steel’s body had been found some time later. FATAL ACCIDENT A car travelling on the Main South Road towards Christchurch had suddenly gone out of control, spun round, and Mt a car coming in the opposite direction, killing the other car’s driver, the Court heard. Merilyn Kaye Dianne Mackie, aged 28, the driver of the other car, was found by the Coroner to have died from a haemorrhage from a ruptured aorta, caused by the accident. James Robinson Middlewood, aged 32, a foreman, said that on January 30 he had been driving towards Christchurch on the Main South Road.

He had been driving a friend’s car, and had earlier adjusted the brakes and made a few improvements. He had decided to take it for a test drive, and had used the brakes several time. They had been working well. “Suddenly, there was a loud bang at the rear of the car, and it went out of control,” he said. “It caught fire almost at once. I couldn’t get out, and someone pulled me from the burning car.” Hoani Kolnaka Peter Waltere, aged 40, an interior decorator, said that he was in his car with his fiancee, Ms Mackie, travelling south towards Darfield. Ms Mackie had been driving, and there were four children In the car, he said. “Near the Islintgon Hotel, I remember a car coming towards us, and it spun In the middle of the road, coming right at us.” Mr Waitere said. “Merilyn veered to the left, but it hit us heavily.” Constable M. C. Mcßae said that he had attended the accident. Mr Middlewood had Injuries to his face and suffered from bums, and his breath smelt of alcohol, he said.

CYCLIST KILLED Harry Courtney Lewington, aged 83, had died from head injuries suffered in a collision between his bicycle and a car driven by Miss Daphne Anne

White on Harper Avenue on June 30, the Coroner said. Evidence was given that Miss White had been driving towards town along Harper Avenue about 50 km/h. When she came round the left bend in the road, she had suddenly noticed a cyclist crossing the road in front of her. She had braked, but could not avoid him and he had smashed into the windscreen before falling to the road. CAR HIT POLE Maurice Edwin Mauger. aged 26, had died from a ruptured aorta after the car in which he was a passenger had hit a power pole on Ferry Road on December 12 last year, the Coroner found. The car had been driven by Rex Wayne Ash. Traces of drugs were found in the deceased’s blood, according to evidence given by the police pathologist (Dr P. R. Kelleher). BOY DROWNED A three-year-old boy, Stephen Craig King, had drowned in the swimming pool at his home in Buchanans Road, the Coroner found. The boy’s father, Duncan McEwan King, said that his son had gone outside to play. He knew that he was not allowed near the swimming pool, and the pool was fenced oft. However, after 15 minutes silence, Mr King became worried and went to look for his son. He had found him lying at the bottom of the pool. CUT BY SAW Lindsay Allan Hay, aged 23, had died of peritonitis from wounds to his stomach, after he had been cut by a saw blade which had broken off from a saw bench he was using, the Coroner found. The saw bench, which had been borrowed from a friend, had been checked thoroughly before Mr Hay had used it. the Court was told. A blade about 15 inches long had struck Mr Hay in the stomach. HIGH-SPEED COLLISION The driver of a car which had been travelling down Springs Road in wet weather about 120km/h had died when the car skidded and struck a power pole, the Coroner was told. Both of the car’s passengers, who had been on a drinking bout, were seriously injured, and the car was extensively damaged. The Coroner found that Faali John Sione, aged 29, the car’s driver, had died from a fractured spine and head injuries because of the accident.