BUSHMAN'S DEATH

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23626, 9 April 1940, Page 6

BUSHMAN'S DEATH

STRUCK BY FALLING TREE ACCIDENT NOT WITNESSED VICTIM FOUND BY COMRADE [by TELEGRAPH —OWN correspondent] WARKWORTH, Monday Struck by a falling tree when working on the side of a steep gully at Puhoehoe to-day. a bushman employed by the Rodney Sawmilling Company suffered head injuries, from which he died almost immediately. He was clearing a irack into a stand of kauri trees when the accident occurred. The victim was: — Mr. George Martin Tolhope, aged 38, single, of Ptihoi. Another bushman, Mr. Simon Bayer, was working on the same track about a r chain away from Mr. Tolhope. He heard Mr. Tolhope chopping a tree and then Inter heard the crash as it fell. Failing to hear Mr. Tolhope resume his work, Mr. Bayer became alarmed and called out to see if he was all right. When he received no reply, he ran along the track and found that Mr. Tolhope had been pinned to the ground by a giant tree-fern. Mr. Bayer attempted to free him, but found he was dead and went away to get assistance. It was later found that' Mr. Tolhope had been chopping a heavy nikau palm which was obstructing the track to the kauri trees. The tree-fern had been felled into the nikau about-three weeks ago and was lodged in its upper branches. When the nikau fell and top'pled into the gully, the tree-fern was freed and crashed on to the back of Mr. Tolhope's head. An inquest will be opened at Warkworth to-morrow before Mr. G. T. Civil, coroner.