ENGINEER DROWNED

Grey River Argus, 17 October 1936, Page 12

ENGINEER DROWNED

Evidence at Inquest ON HUGH HENRY HAMBLETON. SEAMAN’S RESCUE ATTEMPT COMMENDED. The adjourned inquest concerning the death of Hugh Henry Hambleton of Greymouth, engineer, who was drowned in the Grey River on October 5 last, was resumed at. Greymouth yesterday afternoon before the Coroner, Mr. H. Morgan S.M. and was after the hearing of evidence adjourned in order that the medical witness could be recalled. Sergeant J. Isbister conducted police proceedings nad Mr. J. W. Hannan represented deceased’s relatives. Dr. W. A. Bird, said that he performed a post mortem examination of deceased’s body on October 5. The upper air passages and lungs were filled with water; also the stomach, whilst there were signs of asphyxia. The heart was enlarged and the muscle of the left ventricle very much thickened, while the muscle of the right ventricle was practically non-existent, being replaced by fatty degeneration. There was a small area of scarring on the heart wall at the apex of the left ventricle. He came to the conclusion that deceased died an asph’yxial type of death, accelerated by the weakness of his heart muscle. Death was consistent with drowning and he believed deceased died as the result of drowning. To Mr. Hannan: Witness had attended deceased for sometime and he had suffered from h°art trouble. There was a possibility of deceased having had a seizure before going into the water. Deceased had two seizures which witness .attended him for. Mrs Harriett Hambleton, wife of deceased, stated that her husband had suffered from heart trouble, and had various seizures, and as a result had been off work. In June last deceased had had an operation for hernia. He was discharged from the Grey Hospital after a month. Whilst in Hospital deceased had pleurisy and a clot of blood on the lung. Deceased was in bed for about six weeks, but a fortnight prior to his death was up aud about. Deceased was up about the usual time on October 5, a little before nine o’clock, when there was nothing unusual about him. He said he was going for a walk and left the house A favourite walk of deceased s was around the wharf. Deceased had been intending to start work on that particular Monday but later decided to start work on the Thursday. Deceased was in no way depressed, and was particularly happy both on the Sunday and Monday mornings. She did not know of any worries that would cause deceased to commit suicide. He had no financial worries. Albert William Goldie, a seamen on the m.v, Alexander, said that on the morning of October 5- he saw deceased standing by the bulwark along tne wharf, about 100 yards below theship. Deceased bent his head over as if going below the wharf and witness thought that deceased was going down to a whitebait stand. Deceased then jumped into me river. In his opinion the man jumped in deliberately’. After jumping in, deceased appeared to be swimming towards the wharf, but when someone yelled out he appeared to stop swimming. Witness picked up a line and ran along the wharf. Deceased’s head was then under the water and the bubbles were rising. Witness gave the rope to .some men and threw the other end to the man in the water. Deceased’s head was still under water aud he did not attempt' <J.o get the rope. Witness then jumped into the ■water, swam out to deceased, and caught hold of him. Deceased made no resistance at first, but after getting a bit down the river, deceased pushed witness’s arm away aud he lost hold of him. Witness thought he was deliberately pushed away. Someone threw witness a line, and when he caught hold of it, and looked round the man was gone. If deceased had a line to him he could have got him ashore. Deceased did not speak or appear to make any effort to save himself.

To Mr. Hannan: He could not say if deceased had a seizure, and could not speak. He gave no signs of speech showing consciousness at any time. When witness was pushed 1 away, it seemed more like a deliberate push to him'. Deceased at no stage asked witness to let h im g°To the Coroner The:re was nothing peculiar about deceased to attract attention. Deceased had stood on the edge of the wharf. There was nothing that witness could see below the wharf that would.' have attracted deceased’s attention and cause him to bend down. When deceased left the wharf he had straightened up somewhat suddenly Deceased jumped feet first into the river and' landed 10 or 15 feet out from the wharf, hitting the water feet first. When he came up, deceased swam breastroke for the wharf, and then ceased after swimming two or three yards. Deceased’s head did not go down immediately when he eeased swimming. There was a slight fresh in the river at the time.

Charles Dempster, second' officer on the m.v. Alexander, said that on the morning of October sth, his attention was drawn to a man who was in the water. He stated that deceased appeared to be conscious, but was making no effort to save himself. Un pushing Goldie away, deceased’s act could have been either deliberate or the action of a drowning man. He could not say definitely. When they pulled Goldie ashore he was helpless and in an exhausted condition. Goldie’s action was prompt and good. If Goldie had not had a heaving line thrown to him, he would probably also have been drowned.

John Findlay, seaman on the m.v. Alexander, gave corroborative evidence. He stated that it would appear that deceased jumped deliberately into the water. He jumped out about 15 feet into the stream. Up to the time Goldie got hold of deceased, he appeared to be in a collapsed condition.

William Gordon White, waterside worker, stated that on the morning of October sth, ho saw deceased standing on the stringer, and saw him jump into the river feet first. Witness ’phoned the police. iSamuel Compton, dredge hand, employed by the Greymouth Harbour Board, said that at 9.30 a.m., on October sth. he received information that two men were in the river. He got out a boat and went to the rescue. He threw a line to one man. but saw no sign of any other man. After searching T ouud for a while, deceased’s body came up behind the boat and witness pulled it tQ the shore. Artificial rca-

piration was attempted on the deceased, but it had no effect. Mr Hannan sa'd that, ou behalf of the relatives, he wished' to express'appreciation of the efforts made by the men who attempted to rescue deceased, one of them at the risk of his own life.

The Coroner stated that he concurred with Mr Hannan’s remarks. He desired to state that Goldie was deserving of the highest praise fo r his attempt to save deceased from drowning. He had made the attempt at some considerable risk —at the risk of his own life. He had done all that was possible for anyone to do, and it was a pity that his efforts were not more successful. The other members of the crew had also rendered great assistance. It was quite clear from the medical evidence, that death had resulted from drowning. Some features of the evidence as to how deceased got into the water, made it desirable. in his mind, to recall the doctor. Deceased was suffering from heart trouble, and it- had occurred to him that possibly deceased had a seizure, and that, from that, some convulsive action which caused him' to jump into the river. If it was deliberate, then it was a case of suicide, but if it was not deliberate, it may have resulted from an attack of heart failure, and deceased would then have got into the water by misadventure. The inquest would be adjourned in order that the doctor could bo r ecallod.