ACCIDENTS AND DEATHS

Evening Star, Issue 23770, 28 December 1940, Page 8

ACCIDENTS AND DEATHS

YOUTH DROWNED. An Auckland youth, Roy Henry Janies Clark, aged 20, a son of Mr H. .1, Clark, of Mount Roskill, was drowned' while swimming in the Whakatane River, about three miles from Taneatua, yesterday afternoon. In the company of two friends he went for a swim and after being in the water for a little while he suddenly disappeared. He was not seen again By his companions and the Whakatane police were called'. The body was recovered about two hours later. At the point whore the youth disappeared the river flows fairly rapidly and there are numerous snags in the river bed. CHILD STRUCK BY TAXI. A girl aged two and a-half years, Beverley Joan Terris, of 482 Colombo street, Sydenham, Christchurch.was struck by a taxi and killed at 6.15 last evening. She suffered head injuries and was immediately taken to the* Christchurch Public Hospital by the taxidriver. Mr Cyril Griffith Cullen, accompanied by her father Mr Walter Sydney Terris. She died almost immediately after admission. An inquest was opened before Mr E. C. Levvey (coroner) and a post mortem examination was ordered.

FARM HAND’S DEATH, An inquest was opened this morning by Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M., acting as coroner, on the body of Gordon Malcolm Raymond Strathern, a farm hand, aged 15 years, which was found late yesterday afternoon in a cart - shed on the dairy farm of Mr P. 0. M‘Donnell at Wakari with a gunshot wound in the chest. Sergeant Johnsen represented the police. Elizabeth Ottaway, widow, identified the body of deceased as that of her nephew. She last saw him on December 22, when he was in his usual health. At no time had deceased expressed any intention of taking his life; he was just a normal, cheerful boy. Deceased’s father, she said, resided in Invercargill. The proceedings were adjourned to a date to be fixed. FATAL FALL DOWN STEPS. Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M., held an inquiry this morning concerning the death of Florence Elizabeth Garland, a married woman aged 65 years, who had died in hospital yesterday as the result of injuries sustained when she fell down a flight of steps at her daughter’s residence at Broad Bay on Thursday afternoon. Sergeant Johnsen represented the police. Dorothy Emily Jeffs, daughter of the deceased, residing at Broad Bay, said her mother, who resided at 43 Balmacewen road, was visiting her. On the afternoon of the 26th deceased mentioned to witness that she was going to get her knitting. Shortly afterwards witness heard a bumping noise, and discovered her mother at the foot of a flight of steps outside the house. Deceased said that she had slipped on the top step, but felt all right. After being put to bed, however, deceased became ill, and Dr Strain ordered her removal to hospital, where she died nest day.

Dr S. B. W. Strain, in his evidence, said that on visiting deceased at the hospital he found her in a serai-comatose state and severely ! bruised condition. There was severe damage to the brain and a possible fracture of the base of the skull, but on consultation with Dr Barnett it was decided that an operation was not advisable. Deceased gradually became worse and died _at 3 pm. that day. In witness’s opinion death was due to laceration of the anterior portion of the brain, caused by a severe blow on the face, the result of her falling down a flight of steps. The Coroner returned a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence.

INJURIES FROM FALLS. Charles ISricson, aged 65 years, whose residence is at Hillgrove, fell in Dunedin early this morning and was admitted to the Public Hospital at 0.50 a.m. suffering from a fracture of the right wrist. Peter Grey, aged 70 years, residing at 20 Albert street, St. Clair, was admitted to the Hospital at 10.15 this morning suffering from an iniury to his right shoulder, received when he fell at his homo.