DEATH ON ISLAND

Grey River Argus, 30 April 1931, Page 4

DEATH ON ISLAND

REMAINS MYSTERY , Poverty Bay Inquest (Per Press Association.') GISBORNE, April 28. Late this afternoon the body of Edwarj O'Rourke, aged 44 years, labourer, single, ami a returned soldier, was found on the beach at Tuaniotu Island near Gisborne Island which is connected by a strip of land and is accessible from the shore at low tide. O’Rourke was last seen on the previous evening, returning to his home on the Island. The deceased leaves one sis- ' ’ter. Mrs ll' ward, of Tinakori Road. Wellington. GISBORNE. April 29. Af the inquest concerning the death of Edward O’Rourke, aged forty-four years, labourer, evidence was given jthat the deceased left the mainland on Monday night to walk a few hundred Iya rds to his camp on Tuaniotu Island, which is accessible at low tide. The deceased had no liquor. He appeared to Ibe in his usual health. His body was Ifound the next night on the shore of the island under an overhanging cliff and almost under a large boulder, which had fallen from the cliff. Evidence was given by Dr Gunn to the effect that there was no direct evidence lof drowning and as the body was much •mutilated, probablv by sharks, it was • hard to estimate the cause of death, i The only solution witness could offer was that the left lung was adherent to the chest wall, and that deceased had i slipped and caught his breath suddenly, [tearing the lung from the chest wall. ' There was no evidence of a weight having fallen on'the deceased. 1 A verdict was returned of accidental death while he was returning to camp, but that there was no evidence to indicate the cause.