BARRYTOWN FATALITY

Greymouth Evening Star, 25 October 1944, Page 3

BARRYTOWN FATALITY

verdict of BrowNing.

An inquest was held at Greymouth, this morning, into the circumstances surrounding the death of Edward Robert Price, 17, oiler, whose body was recovered from the Barrytown gold dredge pond on October 14, 1944. After hearing the evidence the Coroner, Mr. G. G." Chisholm, S.M., returned a verdict that deceased died at Barrytown on October 14, 1944, the cause of death being drowning in the Barrytown gold dredge pond. He commented that he was unable to find from the evidence any reason why deceased came, to be in the pond. * , . , . , Sergeant R. C. Mcßobie conducted the proceedings for the police, Mr. W. D. Taylor represented the relations of deceased, Mr. J. E. Laing the Dredge Workers’ Union, Mr. G. Lowes the Mines Department, and Mr, C. R. McGinley Barrytown Gold Dredging Ltd. The following evidence was heard. Dr. H. S. Ray gave the results of a post-mortem examination he made on the body of deceased on October 15. He said there were two small superficial abrasions on the forehead and abrasions on the bridge of the nose, the forearm and the front of the neck. There was no sign of disease and no fracture of the skull. Death was due to drowning. To the Coroner: From the abrasions referred to the possibility suggested itself to witness that deceased may have struck some object in falling and the probability was that he was unconscious when he entered the water. John Irvine Crook, oiler, gave evidence that about 1.45 p.m., on October 14, deceased was working the winch with which he was unloading logs on to the punt. At 2 p.m. witness went away to oil the jigs and told deceased to unhook a log from the winch. Witness returned 15 minutes later but there was no sign of deceased. The log was still on the hook. Witness had the winchman signal for deceased, but without result, and the winchman then stopped the dredge. They searched for deceased but could not find him. Dragging operations were commenced in the pond and the body was recovered about 7 p.m. Witness had no idba how deceased came to be in the pond. To Mr. Lowes: It was necessary for witness to leave deceased and oil the jigs as the jigs required oiling about every hour and at that time they had not been oiled for an hour and a half. It was possible for one man to unhook the log. To the Coroner: The log was deposited on the punt and after witness left all deceased had to do was unhook ij;. The deck of the punt was showing a little above the level of the deck of the dredge. Kenneth William Bannister, winchman, said that at the request of Crook he sounded the whistle _ for Price. Witness sounded the whistle for about 10 minutes but Price did not appear. He and Crook made an unsuccessful search. Witness did not see Price about the deck about the time he disappeared. To Mr. Lowes: He knew Crook and Price were working at the crane and they would be within his view if he looked in that direction. He did not see either of them at their work that day. Sidney Harley Jones, dredgemaster, said he was informed of deceased’s disappearance at 3.10 p.m. He instituted a search of the dredge and the tailings and advised the police at 4.10 p.m. On the assumption that deceased had gone into the pond dragging operations were commenced there and the body was recovered about 7 p.m. Deceased was wearing hob-nailed boots and it was possible that he slipped on the steel deck and fell into the pond.

QUESTION OF SAFETY LINES. •To Mr. Taylor: All safety precautions were observed on the dredge. Witness had been working on the dredge since it started over seven years ago and had been dredgemaster for over two years. The safety line at the dredge was complete except at the point where the punt was moored’to the dredge. The punt was moored by two strops from the punt to two steel hooks welded into the deck of the dredge. The punt could swing about 18 inches to two feet away from the dredge. The deck of the punt would be about 18 inches above water level. As far as witness knew the regulations did not require that the punt be provided with a safely line. No safety lines were fitted to the punt. To Mr. McGinley: It had not been practicable to keep safety lines on the punt. They were on when the dredge first started, but the surge of the punt beside the dredge knocked the lines oil. To Mr. Laing: There had not been a safety line on the dredge at the place where the punt was moored for a good many years. There was no safety line of any description round either the dredge or the punt at the point where the punt was moored. To Mr. Lowes: The question of the life lines had been discussed between witness and the Inspector and witness had advanced the reason for their not being there. It was the same reason as he had given in evidence. Some months ago it was suggested that, stanchions and a chain should be provided on the deck of the dredge. They were put up but were broken down as soon as they were put up. There were two life jackets on the dredge, in addition to the lifebuoy and lines and he had verbally instructed the crew that they should use the jackets if there was any danger in going out in the boat. In his opinion deceased was qualified to do the work he was engaged on at the time of his disappearance. Witness had had a lot of chaps of 16 and 17 years of age doing that job. . . To the Coroner: The provision of stanchions and a chain on the dredge would have been no protection to workmen employed as deceased was employed at the time of his disappearance. They would have been in the way. David Henry Kartell, blacksmith at the'’dredge, gave evidence of the recovery of the body. Constable W. J. Theyers detailed his examination of the body of deceased after it was recovered and also his examination of the dredge and the punt. He had been unable to substantiate a statement that, deceased could swim a little, opinion being that ne was unable to swim. He produced the boots deceased was wearing. The boots were hob-nail-ed and had iron heel and toe plates. The Coroner returned a verdict as stated above .