ALL-NIGHT DRIFT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23203, 24 November 1938, Page 16

ALL-NIGHT DRIFT

i DEATH OF FARMER " j _ t j SURVIVOR'S STORY J VEBDICT OF DROWNING I ' \ evidence by doctor ( [from our OWN correspondent] PUKEKOHE, "Wednesday ' Details of tho tragedy off the Port Waikato Heads on November 8, which resulted in the death of Mr. Thomas Taylor, of Otaua', farm manager, aged 31, married, were given by the survivor, when the inquest was resumed 'to-day by the coroner, Mr, C. K. Lawrie. J Leslie Ormond Henry, farmer, of "sAka Aka, said that he and deceased went out fishing at the mouth of the Waikato River during the morning of November 8 in witness' 14ft. boat. Tliey had been dragging a net for flounder and then decided to make up the river for schnappcr fishing. They pushed the boat out into the stream and witness attempted to start the outboard motor. Boat Swept to Sea Before he succeeded, he noticed the boat had been caught by the current and the wind, which was off-shore. The boat was drifting rapidly out toward the bar. The anchor was thrown over, but. failed to hold, and the craft was 6wept out over the bar into the open sea. Tho engine then started. It was while endeavouring to cross the bar inward that the boat was capsized by a wa vp '"We righted it," said Mr. Henry, "and endeavoured to bale it out with tins, but the water washed into it metre quickly than we could bale. Airtight tins which I had had fixed fore and aft gave it some buoyancy. We were being carried by the wind and tide out to sea. I dumped the engine to help to keep the boat? afloat." Thrown Out Several Times It was about an hour, he said, before they gave up baling. They then tried to paddle the craft ashore in its swamped state, but found that oars were hopeless against tho wind. They were thrown out several times through the boat rolling over with the waves. JDeceased said that he was a poor swimmer, so witness tied a piece of rope round him and on to the lvheel of the boat. This prevented him from being washed away. When in tho boat .they were both sitting up to their .waists in water. About 9 p.m. the wind changed and they commenced to drift nearer the shore, the outlines of which they could still see, but about 10 p.m. Mr. Taylor collapsed and died in the boat., I Washed Ashore in Breakers About 3 a.m. it fell calm. Using an oar, witness worked the boat toward th€i shore. The boat was carried into ihei breakers and capsized again, but wau' washed up on to the beach, i He made his way to a shed he had noticed about two miles inland. The owner of the property, Mr. H. E. Whitford, was there, and gave him assistance. | Constable 0. Robb said that the kheel of the boat had broken off, apparently when the craft was being pounded on the beacH* by the surf after Mr. Henry left it, and the body of deceased was found a little distance kvtay from the boat. There were some abrasions on the head and arms, apparently due to the boat striking deceased in rolling over. The point where the boat came ashore was at the' mouth of the Waikaretu Stream, about 15 miles south of the Waikato He,ads. Medical Opinion | Dr. S. Douglas, who examined the body after it had been brought to Pukekohe on November 9, 6aid that in his opinion death was due to drowning ' The Coroner: But Mr. Henry says flecuased collapsed and died, apparently from exhaustion through exposure. i Dr. Douglas: He must have swallowed small quantities of water when Struggling in the sea on the occasions when the boat rolled over . and the cumulative , effect was ' drowning, through the water getting into the lungs. . The coroner returned a verdict of accidental drowning. He commended Mr. Henry on his presence of mind in lashing a rope round deceased and tyiffig it. to. the wheel. •