AN INQUIRY

Hokitika Guardian, 26 April 1935, Page 5

AN INQUIRY

OKU nr FATALITY. An inquest was held at Okuru on Sunday. April 21, before Mr W. T). Nolan, Actin': Coroner, and a jury consistin': of Me-srs B. Christenson, R Eggeling. •I, F. Condon and U. JWilliams, touching the death ol Adam dulln Cowan the previous day. Const a life K,: M. Best '.represented the police, Bernard If. Cowan gave evidence that he was 14 year,.? of age and a son of the deceased Adam John Cowan. On Saturday, April 20, lie was assisting his father, in the wood .shed at ■the back of the house, to saw boards. There was a circular saw rigged up, and they resumed cutting after dinner. His father was feeding the timber in at one side, and witness was on the other side. They had put through one sina'i log, and •started on another. They had taken off the first flitch and i started to saw it into boards. The first cut of this flitch w.as fed in to the saw in the usual way and witness was about to return if to Iris father when it caught in the fyelfc of tile is aw and was flung against his father, tub end striking him on the chest. He was knocked down, by the force and fell, between the trolley trails, but lie got out of the lines and from under the stick. Witness asked him if he were hurt, but lie did not reply, lying groaning on the ground. Witness' sister came out, also Mr Christenson and. Mr Delaney, and they put him on his bed. The -on had had no experience of this class of 'work, and did not think his lather had worked at a saw bench in a sawmill before. The accident happened at 2.J0 p.m.

.Patrick Delamvv, an engineer, ;re.sidinfi at Okuru. gave t'vidoiieo of ;seeinj>; the deceased and liis son sawing wood. I lien went away, and lie heard sawing operations going on. About 2.30 p.m. he was told deceased had met with an accident. He went at once, and found deceased lying prostrate on the ground. He appeared in great pain, and was groaning, and had difficulty in breathing. 'Witness made an examination and could see bruises on the chest and felt a fractured rib. He bandaged him up, and noticed a haemorrhage from the mouth. He advised the doctor be sent for, and the latter arrived about 4.30 p.m. Deceased died about 5 p.m. Dr Basil L. Wilson gave evidence that lie visited deceased. at his homo on Satlirday,- April’ 20, at. 4.30 p.m. He was suffering from a severe crushing injury .of the right, side of the chest with a fracture of the lower ribs on the right side. He was ‘.suffering considerably from shock, from severe haemorrhage, and laceration of the right lung. The injuries were consistent with u piece of heavy wood striking him on the chest with considerable force. His condition gradually became worse and be died at 3.30 p.m. from shock' and internal haemorrhage . The jure returned a verdict flint Adam John Cowan was accidentally killed at Okuru on April 20, as the result of injuries ireceived by being struck' by a flitch from a circular saw he was operating.