INQUEST INTO THE KAPUNI RIVER DROWNING FATALITY.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXX, Issue LXXX, 29 January 1920, Page 8

INQUEST INTO THE KAPUNI RIVER DROWNING FATALITY.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) An inquest was held at Manaia on Monday, intoathe drowning fatality on Saturday, wkereoy A'.ois Herman lost his life in the Kapuni river. Evidence was given before Mr A. H. Christie, J ._-*.. and tlie following jury: E. J. Betts, Richard Putt, L. G. Nielson, R. M. McCullum, C. J. Powell, and E. G. Betts, who returned a verdict that deceased was accidenta.ly drowned while attempting to cross tne Kapuni river oa January 24, 1920. Kasper Herman, farmer,, Riverlea, cousin to the deceased, and the nearest relative he has in New Zealand, said that deceased was 43 years of age. He had never known him to be subject to fits, and he had always been in good health. Waiter Brandt, an employee cf deceased, stated that on Saturday deceased asked him to give another "m----pio_.ee named Jacob Textor, a hand to fetch the cows across the Kapuni. The ; river runs through the centre of de- : ceased's farm. Textor was bringing j the cows from the back_ of the farm. I The cows woit.d not cross the river, because the rive r was in too high a flood. Witness tried to cross the river on a three-quarter draught horse, but it refused to go. Mr Herman (deceased) then galloped down to the river and started to cross it, but was next seen falling off his horse in the centre of ( the stream. Deceased did not make 1 any attempt -to reach the bank of the river, and witness called out to the man ion the opposite side of the bank to look out further down, as he saw the body floating down on the west side of fche river. Textor entered the river on horseback, and followed the body down the river for about a- hundred yards. He was unable to rescue Herman, owing to the flooded state of tho river. The body -was caught about half a mile lower down the river from the flood gates,by.Textor, about 15 minutes from the time deceased fell from his horse, hut there was no signs of life in, the body. Deceased was fu'.ly clad with his overcoat on at the time of the accident. Jacob Textor, also an employee of deceased, said that deceased had sent him, over the river to bring the cows over to the shed to be milked. Witness had had no trouble in crossing the river, but on his return with the cows, the river had risen considerably, and it was too high for them to cross. His attention was first drawn by Brandt to the accident to Herman. Witness came to the bank and could see deceased floating down the stream. Witness entered the river on horseback, but. after going three chains was washed off his horse. Deceased would then be a chain in front of him. Then witness started to swim towards the body, but could not reach it, owing to the river being too swift, but lower uWn the river he made another attempt, and caught the body. He took Herman's overcoat off and felt the heart, there was no signs of life. He secured the body to a log, owing to tlie amount of water he could not get the body out [>y himself. Witness sent Brandt for assistance, hut before he returned" the t-ody had disappeared from sight, owing to the river rising so quickly. Four men arrived later, including the doctor, who would not allow witness to go into the river again, as he considered it was too dangerous. Deceased could not swim. Witness's opinion was that deceased got giddy when he entered the river, and when the horse stopped he fell off. John ScanneX., constable at Manaia, also gave evidence as to the search and finding of the body. The jury r eturned a verdict that deceased was accidentally drowned, and commending the two men, Jacob Textor and Walter Brandt, for attempting to rescue deceased, es- •-'-(■ ially Jacob textor, who risked his life in attempting to rescue the body.