AN INQUEST

Hokitika Guardian, 12 January 1935, Page 2

AN INQUEST

DEATH OF DOUGLAS SIMMERS

An inquest was held ai Okuru Library on January 9, before Mr A - D. Nolan, J.P., . deputy coroner, an a jury consisting of Joseph Hams, Adam Cowan, John B, Christensen Eric G. Scholfield, touching the deatli of Douglas Sininrors. Charles Peter Eggling gave evidence that he was a farmer residing at Okuru, was engaged by Saddler foi McMahon and Lee of Reefton, to peg off a dredging claim at Big Bay. Douglas Simmers, the deceased came down toOkuru from Wailio on Friday December 28. We left on Sunday December 30, and went to Barn Bay, arriving there on December 31, and returned to Okuru on January 3. With fresh supplies we left again on Sunday, January 6. We had a horse each and beside blankets, enough foe to last about a week. Simmers had two blankets on the front of his saddle and an empty split sack which was on the back of his horse. He was carrying a loaf of bread on liis back in a bag. He had the horse witness had on the first trip, a s the one be bad previously used had developed a. sore back. On the evening of the 6th, we got to the Arawata. river at the homestead. We camped Inhere over night and started off up the south bank, having crossed the river before, we camped. Leaving about 7.30, we proceeded up the Arawata river until we came to the Jackson river, which we followed for about a mile 'to the ford. We got there about 9 o’clock. The river was rising when we got there. Witness was a bit ahead of Simmers. Witness, remarked that the river was rising.. He said : “I think we will do it. I don’t want to spend another night down there.” By this he meant the Arawata homestead, where we had a bad night with mosquitoes. Witness said it would be a nuisance if we got stuck between the two fords. By this he meant that they had to ford the same river again higher up and we might be stranded between, the two places. Deceased replied: “I think we can do it. We will push on a, bit.” The last mentioned conversation passed when we had crossed the river. We proceeded on up Jackson river until we came to the Four Mile Creek, arriving there about 10 o’clock. It was rainino- verv heavy then. We had to cross two small creeks before we got to the main creek. We waited from 10 a.m. till 3.30 p.m. It had been raining .consistently, till 2.30 p.m. when it eased off and the creek began to' drop rapidly Witness mounted his liorse. Simmers in the meantime had walked down to the creek and coming back, Simmers remarked ‘‘lt is going down very fast. AYe will get across easily.” AYitness rode along the creek and waited there untill Simmers mounted his horse. AVe crossed this small creek and the next one without difficulty. AA r itness waited at the Four Mile creek proper until he came along. AVe sat on our horses for a while and then Simmers said: “I think I’ll have a go at the crossing.” AAutness said no, we will wait awhile and have a hit of lunch. AVe had ate nothing since morning. A\ r e left the place where we lunched at 3.30 p.m. Witness went across on his horse and when he got across he turned and watched Simmers crossing. He got about the centre of the creek when liis horse gave a stumble and turned slightly down the creek. The hor-e then swung her rump down stream, and came to a position facing slightly up stream and **t this vunecure Simmers rpllcd off the horse on the down stream side. He did not call or look to witness. As soon as lie hit the water he was hidden from the view of witness by scrub. Witnes s immediately recrossed the creek and while crossing saw Simmers drifting down stream on his back, wjtlr his head and shoujlddrs out of the water. He was then -about two chains down the creek and drifting very fast with the current. Hurried across and dismounted. Tied his horse up and hurried down the creek. The sciub grows most of the creekside down to the water’s edge. AVitness followed the Creek down about a quarter of a lithe, and from there down to where the creek joins the Jackson river and 'down the Jackson river for a while. Found no trace and returned to his horse and went down the same side again making a careful scare':. Wes calling tu Simnrers all the time. When witness returned to his'horse it was -1.30 p.m. About lo chains down the creek round a bend, there was a big bunch of logs, and after a search witness found an oilskin about a foot under the water. Raised the body with difficulty, and was able to grasp one leg, and rolled the. lody to the bank. The body was in about the middle of the Creek. The creek at normal times is divided into two streams, but in flood is straight across. AVitness lay him on a log and returned to the horses, (where- he gjiti jtlie isjtirnip leathers, and secured him. AVas unable to do anything else and returned to Okuru for assistance. AVa s able to get back to the ford in the Jackson which they had crossed previously. Had to wait there overnight to cross and came on to the Arawata which was too high to ford on a horse or take horses over with a. boat. AVitness had to ferry across and walk 18 mile s to Okum. arriving l there about . 2.30 p.m. the day after the fatality, and gave information of the fatality to Hie settlers. At the time of the fatality Simmers was dressed in his usual clothes, hoots and an oilskin coat, and when he fell into the liver as far as witness could see he made no effort to swim. He appealed to b§ sitting on the horse

quite well when «,*> horse recovered from the stumble. It would only a matter of seconds after the stumble and the recovery by the horse that Simmers fell off. He just seemed to roll off and made no attempt to hold on to anything. He was in his usual reported to be a good swimmer and river, which was a fairly big stream, had been known to swim the AVaitoto river, which a s a fairly big stream. Knew him well but had never lived with him. H© had never seen him or known of him to take fainting turns. He would be about 60 years of age. He identified the body as That or Douglas Simmers.

Constable Edward Mark Best gaie evidence that he was a police constable at Mfaltainui. /O'n Wednesday January 9, examined tlie body of Douglas Simmers lying in Okuru Library. The only marks were a severe bruise on. the left side of the face including ,'thc loft temple and eye. A small amount of blood was .still bleeding from the wound. There was also a discharge of blood from the right ear. The condition, of the body w'as consistent with that of deceased having been drowned. The jury returned a, verdict that Douglas Simmers was accidentally drowned while fording the Four Mile Creek, South AVestland on January 7, 1935.