ENGINEER’S DEATH

Grey River Argus, 20 October 1936, Page 8

ENGINEER’S DEATH

VERDICT OF SUICIDE. “That deceased, while in a depressed state of 'mind, committed suicide by drowning, in the Grey River, on October 5, 1936.’’ was the verdict returned by the Coroner, Mr 11. Morgan, S.M., at'an inquest at Greymouth yesterday touching the death of Hugh Henry Hambleton, engineer of Greymouth. The proceedings were adjourned from last Friday in order to permit Dr. W. A. Bird' to be recalled at the wish of the Coroner. Dr. Bird stated that from the state of deceased’s heart he was liable to a fatal seizure at any time, and he probably knew of that. He probably realised that, although witness and he had never had any conversation about it. It would follow that if he realised that, possibly he would realise that he might be practically useless for further work. If deceased had had a seizure he might collapse, might stiffen, make some convulsive movement, or might become temporarily dazed, so that he would not know what he was doing. He did not think that deceased would be more prone to an attack if her were in a stooping position. Asked by the Coroner if it was usual for a patient to collapse if there was a seizure, witness said that different patients reacted in different ways. He had not observed deceased’s reaction on occasions of his previous seizures. He was then in bed. It was usual for a patient to collapse. Tt did not seem likely that a convulsive movement would make deceased jump such a long distance as 15 feet. It seemed unlikely that a man from a standing position, in his normal way could jump oiit 15 feet from the wharf, without taking a run. Ten feet was too far for a convulsive movement. If deceased had a seizure it was more likely that he would stiffen, and fall into, the water, more in the form of a dive than a jump. The Coroner said that the reason he recalled the doctor was because there was a doubt in his mind as to the effect of a seizure, if deceased had had one while he was on the edge of the wharf; whether he would fall into the water, or whether a convulsive movement might project him into the water, indicating that he got there from the effect of the seizure. Having heard the doctor, however, he was unable to come to the latter conclusion. The evidence of the men on the wharf, who saw what happened, and the evidence that Hambleton pushed away the man who tried to rescue him, led to the conclusion that deceased had the intention of drowning himself, and threw himself into the river for that purpose. The doctor’s evidence showed that if deceased .had had a seizure, he would be more likely to fall head first, in the nature of a dive. The evidence seemed to indicate a deliberate intention on the part of deceased to commit suicide.