American drowned, Coroner finds

Press, 29 May 1985, Page 8

American drowned, Coroner finds

PA Blenheim An American woman appeared to have fallen from rocks to her death, a policeman told the Blenheim Coroner, Mr Peter Radich, yesterday. The Coroner found that Suzanne Petrick, aged 42, drowned in Picton harbour between March 13 and 16. Her body was found face down on the rocks near Bob’s Bay on March 16 by Constable Brian Wood, of Picton. Constable Wood told the inquest that he believed the woman had slipped while trying to climb a cliff, and had fallen perhaps several

metres to the rocks. The coroner said there was no evidence to suggest that she had committed suicide.

The woman was spoken to by the police on March 11 at the bay, after a man who had been with her telephoned the station, saying she would not leave. Constable Wood said he had spoken to the woman for about 50 minutes, but she had refused to return to Picton. A handbag containing personal effects and a passport bearing her photograph was later found on the shore.

Constable Wood said the woman was last seen on

March 14, walking naked on the beach. MICROLIGHT CRASH A microlight aircraft appeared to move in a wave-like motion before crashing, killing the pilot, a witness said. The Coroner found that Arthur Alfred Hyson, of Renwick, died on February 23 of multiple injuries when his microlight crashed at Spring Creek.

Mr Neville Hall, a farmer, of Spring Creek, said he had been watching Mr Hyson and another microlight pilot, Mr Wayne King, flying at tree level. Mr flight was

smooth, but Mr Hyson’s aircraft moved in a wave-like motion. Mr Hall said there was a slight easterly breeze.

Mr Hyson’s wing tip appeared to point upward and the machine nose-dived to the ground, crashing about 600 m from where Mr Hall was standing, the Court heard.

The other pilot had already landed and a doctor who lived across the road was summoned. A constable who attended the scene said in a written statement that when he arrived, he was told by the doctor that Mr Hyson was dead.