FALL FROM ENGINE

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 274, 15 August 1936, Page 7

FALL FROM ENGINE

Accident While Shunting EVIDENCE AT INQUEST “I am satisfied the occurrence was purely accidental,’’ said the coroner, Mr. E. Gilbertson, J.l’., at the conclusion o£ the .inquest yesterday into the circumstances surrounding the death of George Burden Cornfoot, a single man, employed by the Railway Department as head, shunter at the Thorndon yards. Following an accident during shunting operations on August 7 Cornfoot was gravely injured and died in hospital two days later. Senior-Sergeant J. Dempsey conducted the inquiry, Mr. M. F. Luckie appeared for the relatives and Mr. A. E. Hargreaves for the Railway Department. Dr. J. D. Willis, house surgeon at the Wellington Hospital, said Cornfoot was conscious when admitted to hospital. He had a fracture-dislocation of the spine ait the root of the neck, with severe damage to the spinal cord. The patient’s general condition improved w:*'i treatment, but on the evening of August 9 on being called to the ward urgently, he found the patient had collapsed. Artificial respiration was pi na avail and he died at 9.50 p.m. In witness’s opinion death was due to severe injury to the spinal cord with subsequent involvement of the-vital centres in the brain following a fracture-dislocation of the spine at the root of the neck. Robert Richard John Walker,' engine-driver,-in the employ of the New Zealand Government Railways, said about 2.30 p.m. on August 7 he was on duty shunting trucks in the Thorndon goods yard. He was in charge of a “0” class engine, and was proceeding in a northerly direction. It was raining hard and a southerly squall was blowing. Cornfoot, who was the head shunter, was on duty attending to the shunting operations of wagons. The engine was between two sets of points when Cornfoot jumped off. Witness did not actually see him leave the engine, but heard a shout, and immediately looked down and saw Cornfoot lying on bis back with his head facing north. Witness applied the emergency brake and brought the engine to a stop in a distance of between six and eight feet. He saw Cornfoot’s head come into contact, with the steps of the tender, about a foot from the ground. “The only explanation I can give as to the cause of the accident,” witness continued, “is that his foot must have slipped when he stepped off the engine. In fact, Cornfoot said he had slipped when I was talking to--him after the accident.” To the coroner: There was no grease on the step, which had a covering of canvas. It was raining hard, and that would tend to make it slippery. Herbert Mulv-en Hickford, fireman on the engine, gave corroborative evidence. The coroner returned a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence of accidental death through falling when stepping off an engine in the Thorndon yards.during shunting operations on August 7. , .