CONSTABLE'S FLIGHT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22004, 10 January 1935, Page 10

CONSTABLE'S FLIGHT

PRESENCE AT INQUEST DROWNING OF PROSPECTOR QUICK TRIP BY AEROPLANE SAVING OF FOUR DAYS [BY TELEGBAPH —SPECIAL BEPORTEItI GREYMOUTH, Wednesday For the first time in New Zealand a police constable to-day travelled by air in the course of routine duty. Information was received by Inspector Cameron that an elderly man, Mr. Duncan Simmers, whose relatives live in Auckland, had been drowned when fording a river inland from Jackson's Bay, which is 30 miles south of Okura. Mr. Simmers, with a companion, had been prospecting for gold in the wild wilderness of South Westland. on behalf of Reefton interests.

So difficult is the country that the dead man's companion, after recovering the body, had to travel 30 miles for assistance to bring it out.

In order to represent the police at the inquest Constable Best, stationed at Matainui, left from Waiho Gorge to-day in an aeroplane piloted by Mr. Mercer, of the South Westland Air Service. His journey was completed in about an hour. Had ho travelled by road and track the journey would have occupied about four days. From Waiho he could have used a car for only 15 miles to Weheka. From there he would have had to continue on horseback 150 miles. He would have had to ford many rivers, two of such size that he would have had to use a boat, swimming his horse behind it. Not only did air transport prove convenient, but it was als° highly economical from tho department's point of view.