BATHER'S FATAL DIVE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23861, 11 January 1941, Page 11

BATHER'S FATAL DIVE

EVIDENCE AT INQUEST WARNING NOTICE NEEDED An inquest into the death of Grant Colin Butcher, hotel porter, aged 30, who mot his death as a result of a diving accident at Falls Park, Henderson. on December 19, was concluded by the coroner, Mr. F. X. Hunt, yesterday. A sister of deceased, Mrs. Joyce Hill, gave evidence that he had been passed as fit for the Boyal New Zealand Air Force. He was about to commence training as an observer. A Henderson boy who was bathing at Falls Park at the ti' 10 of the accident, Boss Oldfield, aged 11. said the tide was out at the time, and there was only about three feet of water beneath the springboard, which was seven feet above the surface of the water. When witness and other boys saw Butcher about to dive they called to him to stop, but it was too late. The boys assisted two women companions of deceased to get him out of the water. Constable Wakclin, of. Henderson, said that after the accident deceased complained to him of the absence of any notice warning divers of shallow water at low tide. Dr. W. T. B. MeFarland said that death, which occurred on December 22, was due to injury to the spine, shock and pneumonia. To his verdict that death resulted from a fracture of the spine through diving into shallow water, the coroner added a rider directing the police to notify the authorities of the park to erect a notice warning bathers against using the springboard except at full high tide.