SHOT IN THE BACK

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 178, 26 April 1938, Page 12

SHOT IN THE BACK

Accident To Member Of Shooting Party ARDUOUS JOURNEY BY STRETCHER Dominion Special Service. iMasterton, April 25. A middle-aged man, Mr. Cyril Beard, married, was accidentally shot in the back by a companion yesterday afternoon while shooting rabbits on a station at Wangaehu, Masterton. Several hours later, after a strenuous trek by stretcher-bearers through rough, broken country and in heavy rain, he was admitted to a privates hospital in Masterton, where an X-ray examination was conducted this morning. The examination, however, has not revealed the bullet, which came from a .22 rifle. ,

Mr. Beard, who is employed in the wool-store of Dalgety and Co., Thorndon Quay, Wellington, was with a party of three others, Messrs. W. G. Wilson, Northland Road, Wellington; I'. G. L. Coogan, Newtown, and M. W. Clark, Coldstream, Masterton. They arrived at Bagshot Station, belonging to Mr. H. H. Mawley, yesterday morning, and the accident occurred at about 4 p.m., just as the party was about to return from where they had been shooting, several miles out. It appears that Mr. Clark, who is 154 years of age, was loading one of the rifles when it accidentally discharged, the bullet entering the back of Mr. Beard, who was standing a few yards away.

Though ill-equipped for rendering first aid, the party did all it could to make the injured man comfortable, and Mr. Wilson set out for the homestead to seek assistance. Almost a week’s continual rain had made the ground extremely slippery, and this, together with the broken nature of the country and the fact that the injured man had to be moved in darkness, made the return to the homestead particularly slow and arduous. It was about 10 p.m. before they reached Mr. Mawley’s house. Mr. Beard was removed by ambulance to a private hospital in Masterton, after receiving attention from Dr. N. H. Prior. It was reported to-night that his condition was satisfactory.