AN INQUEST

Hokitika Guardian, 10 December 1940, Page 2

AN INQUEST

DEATH OF JOHN C. CAMPBELL. An inqiibst was held by the Coroner, Mr A. E. Benjamin, touching flit death of John E. Gampuell, oil November - 26 th, December sth, and 9th, when the following evidence was heard. Constable Tulloch ropieSenting the Police: —

Kenneth George Coles, gave evidence that he was a grocer’s carrier employed by Wm. Perry and Co. The body the Coroner had viewed was that of John Clement Campbell, son if John' Clement Campbell arid Henrietta Margaret Coles. Witness last saw him alive on Saturday? November '23rd, at Greyniouth railway station. He was tlien in good health and had not complained of any illliess. He was a good healthy 1 'ad. Witness was stepfather of deceased, who was born at Blaketown,- and would have been 18 years of -age on December 15th. He was a: sawmillef, working at Inclibonnie, Having been there a week. Previously, he had been employed as a. carrier by John Cameron, of Hokitika. . ;. Walter Edward Ellis stated he was 14 years of age and lived, with Ins parents in . Sewell Street, Hokitika. He knew the deceased, John Clement Campbell. Saw. him on .Sunday, November 24th at his place. They were going bathing. That is," deceased, his brother George, and witness. They le cided to go in the sea at the back of Mr Cole’s house on the Beach road. The sea was calm, with small breakers. There was a bay in the sea. George and witness kept close into the bank. Deceased went, out further. He could swim, but witness could not. Deceased went out about 50 yards. Witness and George went along the beach northwards about. 20 yards. They heard deceased call out “Help,” and when witness turned round, deceased was swimming in the water trying to get to the shore. He did not have the surf board with him *t that time. George tried to reach his brother, and witness went about 200 yards to the north to get a fishing lilie from a man, Haines, who was fishing in the sea. He got the line, but could not reach deceased with it. Deceased was still swimming, and George was also in the water, but not near his brother, who had been washing northwards, George being a good disance to the south. Witness ran to the south to get round the- land on the sea side, but could not get near where the two brothers were. By this time, John had disappeareij. George was then swimming towards the land. He got out and witness helped .him home. By this time there was, quite a crowd on the beach. Witness did not go oack to the beach - until he went to show Constable. Tulloch the place, about a quarter of an hour later. When witness went to get the line from where Haines was fishing there was another man there too. The latter pulled the line in for witness, but neither of them. came along at the time that he carried the line back. Witness had never been in the sea before. He had been told by his mother not to go in the sea, because it was not too safe.

George F'rancis Campbell stated he was 14 years of age and resided witn his mother, Mrs Coles, in Beach Hoad. Deceased was his brother, and he was in his. usual good health on Sunday, November 24th. They decided to go in bathing in the sea at the back of the house after dinner. There was a bay at the spot they went in. His brother went into the water. He had a. surf board. He went out about 50 yards. Ellis and Witness were just dodging about on the water’s edge. Then witness heard his brother cry out “Help.” He was swimming, and was about 50 yeards out. He did not have the surf board. Witness went into the water as far as he could without losing his feet, about 15 yards out. Then he got into a hole and lost footing. He could not swim, much. He was washed back to' the shore. This would be some ten minutes after he first heard his brother call out. He watched his brother while he was swimming. He seemed to go under once when witness was washed off his feet by a .breaker coming in. Did not see him come up again. When witness got out of the water he could hardly walk, and Ellis assisted him home. When his brother called out, he saw two men fishing about 200 yards further north. Ellis went up to them to get a line and witness saw him comeback with one and try to throw it out to his brother, but it did not go near him. While watching, ho saw his brother getting washed to the north. He did not get any' closer to the shore. Think Mr Haines went away to give the alarm, because soon after he did so people came to the beach where witness was. Ho did not see the surf board again. Tt was about 4 feet, long and 18 inches wide. Witness and his brother had eaten .i good dinner about half an hour before they w r ent for the bathe This was the first bathe witness had had in the sea this year. It was also his brother’s first bathe this year Witnes’s mother told his brother not to go in bathing. He did not say anything. Witness thought the place was safe to bathe in. The tide was just starting to come in at the time.

John Phillip Coulson, a residing in Revell Street, stated he knew the deceased. Or. Sunday, November 24th, was at bis residence whan lie heard an alarm that someone was in difficulties on the beach. @ Went to the beach and saw r tw'o men fishing, Port Haines of Hokitika and George Weaver of Greymouth. Wont nlong to where thoy T wore fishing, which was about 500 yards from where he went

on the beach. Asked what had happened, and Haines said that three boys had gone in swimming and one had been drowned. Looked round the sea and beach, and could not see .anyone in the water. Was informed that John CnnipebU had been drowned. Witness patrolled up and down the beach for a distance of 400 or 500 yards for about a quarter of an hour, and tlien when coming northwards about 400 yards from the spot pointed out as where tlie boys had gone in swimming he saw the body in the sea about 15 yards but. He entered the water,, and after a second attempt go' the body and pulled it -partly to the shore, then being assisted to bring it to the beach. He immediately applied artificial respiration until the arrival of Constable Tulloch, who relieved Him and- went on with the treatment, which was carried out continuously until the arrival of Dr Aitken, sonic few minutes' after the body was recovered,- who ordered" removal of the body to the hospital, and it was con vCyed there by witness and Const, abl Tulloch in a car, on the way the treatment being continued. Witness understood that it was Haines and Weave, who.gave the general alarm, -and tlnu they then returned to the beach. Th body was removed from, the- sea bj witness was : that of John Clement Campbell.

. Percy Campbell Tulloch, police constable stationed at Hokitika, stated at 2.40 p.m. on Sunday, November 24th, at 2.40 p.m., lie was informed a. boy named Campbell was in difficulties in the sea. Proceeded to Campboll’s house in . Beach road and then to the beach. On arrival lie saw M. Coulson dragging a body out of the breakers. Assisted Coulson to take the body to the dry beach, where Coulson and witness tried artificial respiration. The deceased did not respond to the treatment. We continued until the arrival of Dr Aitken on. the scene some five minutes later. Dr Aitken ordered the removal of the body to the hospital for tlie purpose ui using “iron-lung” treatment, and the body was removed in a car to the hospital. In his opinion death had ensued Wlien lie first saw the body. Herbert Haines, of Weld Street, gave -evidence that be left his home at 1 p.m on November 24th, with Mr Weaver to go fishing. They started fishing on the beach opposite the Borough Workshop. After about halt an hour three young men came to tinbeach, two carrying a surf board. They entered the shallow end of the bay there, and played about for a quarter of an hour. Then noticed them go out on to a sandspit on the seaside of the bay Took no notice until one of the boys, 'Ellis, cam running to where we were, and said one of his. companions was' in trouble This was. the - first they knew. Mi Weaver said lie would give him a line to run out to the one in trouble. The boy said he could not swim. Then Mi Weaver ran up off the beach and gave the alarm. He. then came back and said he had given word at Chinn’s. In the meantime witness had gone down to where the boys were in the water. There were only two in the water at that time. He had previously seen the third one disappear. Ht waved to the two boys to get to the sand bank. They did so and same to the beach through the shallowwater. The first man to come down Was Mr J. Coulson. Witness thoughi he saw f the deceased come to the surface once, after he first went down. When Coulson came along witness was looking along the shore for tlie drowned boy. His line w r as lying on the beach. Wa,s present when Coulson pulled the body out of the water, and Coulson tried to bring the man round. He was using artificial resuscitation methods for about ten minutes, when Constable Tulloch came along and relieved Coulson. The next man to come was Dr Aitken. There was not any sign of life in deceased wffien he was dragged ashore-, but a little bleeding from one ear. When looking for the body saw the surf board come ashore, about 40 feet from where the body came ashore. This was two or three minutes before the body was seen. THE FINDING. The Coroner returned a verdict that John Clement Campbell was accidentally drowned in the sea at Hokitika while bathing, on November 24th, 1940.