LAUNCH FATALITY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22094, 27 April 1935, Page 14

LAUNCH FATALITY

WOMAN IN HAKBOUK RESCUER LOSES LIFE COMMENTS BY CORONER FURTHER EVIDENCE REQUIRED A harbour fatality in which a man who could not swim was drowned during attempts to rescue a woman was investigated yesterday at an inquest before Mr. Wyvern Wilson, S.M., coroner, concerning the death of Arthur Forbes Murray., widower, aged 59, who was employed as nightwatchman on the Union Steam Ship Company's hulk Flora. Sergeant Thompson, of the Queen's Wharf station, represented the police at the inquiry and Mr. Snivtheman appeared for the relatives of deceased.

Evidence was given by a son of deceased, Wallace Murray, taxi-driver, of Sandringham, that he last saw his father about a month before the fatality, which was on the evening of January 23. Deceased's health was good and he had no financial worries. He would take a drink, but he was not addicted to liquor. Witness added that deceased, who could not swim, was employed on the Flora for about seven years.

A widow, Pose Taylor, of New Lynn, said that she met deceased in Queen Street about 5 o'clock in the afternoon of January 23. and she was in his company until 6.30, when they went to a launch at the Northern Wharf. Deceased had met her in order to take some parcels to the ship, and she went to the Flora for the purpose of returning with a suit of clothes belonging to deceased. A young man named "Les" was in charge of the launch, which struck sharply against the Flora and commenced to quiver. Witness overbalanced into the water and she was not able to swim. Efforts by Deceased Witness described deceased's unsuccessful efforts to lift her into the launch, and she said she did not know what the other man in the launch was doing at this time. She remembered deceased leaning from the launch to hold her, but water' broke over her at this time and she did not remember anything more. While she was with deceased in the city they did some shopping. She waited for him outside a hotel, but deceased had not stayed there for long. He was sober. A wharf labourer and a relieving keeper on the hulk Wanganui, Iyeslie Malton, of l'anmure Road, Ellerslie. who had charge of the launch,' said that Mrs. Taylor's fall into the water was sudden. Deceased and witness tried in vain to lift her into the launch, and witness passed a line beneath her shoulders. The woman's dress tore each time they caught at it, and the launch commenced to drift toward Northcote. Witness heard deceased call out, "Hang on, Les,'.' and because of a splash, witness believed that deceased had jumped overboard. It was then dusk, and he did not see deceased in the water. Witness did not know whether deceased could swim.

A passing ferry steamer was hailed by Mrs. Taylor and witness. The time, witness thought, would then have been about 8 o'clock. When the woman was taken on board the ferry, witness made an extensive search of the vicinity for deceased, who was sober at the time. Witness made a search on the following morning, and the possibility of deceased having been drowned then impressed him. The sea was calm, and witness did not hear deceased call out. He thought an hour and a-half might have elapsed between the time the woman fell into the harbour and the time deceased went overboard. Questions by Coroner

The Coroner: Why did yon not got the woman to the side of the launch and then proceed to the shore? Witness: We were, trying to get her on board.

"It is an extraordinary state of affairs," commented the coroner. "For an hour and a-half there was an attempt to get her on board, and then when the man disappears you go toward the ferry boat. I do not know what the explanation is, unless it is the hotel." Constable J. Wilson, of Queen's Wharf station, described finding deceased's body, on which no marks of violence were apparent, on January 29. A watch which deceased carried had stopped at 8.49. The coroner said it was essential that some evidence by a person who had seen those on board the launch after the ferry was hailed should be presented by the police. The only evidence on that point had been given by Malton.

The inquiry was adjourned for a week.