DIVE TO DEATH

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 11735, 24 January 1924, Page 5

DIVE TO DEATH

FIREMAN’S RASH ACT HOW GEORGE SMITH MET HIS END. OPEN VERDICT RETURNED. The inquest into the death of George Smith, 28 years of age, a fireman on tho s.s: Kent, -who was killed as the result of striking the deck of the snip while attempting to dive 40ft the mainmast, was held before the coroner, Mr W. G. Riddell, S.M., at the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. “DON’T BE FOOLISH 1” Thomas O’Donoghue, a greaser on the s.s. Kent, stated that at about 2.40 p.m. on the day of the fatality ho went aboard the vessel, accompanied by a shipmate. When they got on board they saw two men in swimming costumes. Witness went below, but returne_d later, and noticed the deceased up" on the mast, standing on the truck facing the starboard side. “I called out to him, . ‘Don’t be foolish; come down,” said witness, “but he replied, ‘As soon as the wind drops I’ll get it,’ meaning a clear dive from the truok to the sea. A few seconds later he dived, and came down head first. The wind seemed to catoh and swerve him into the handrails of the upper deck. Deceased struck the hand-rails, and then fell to the well deck. Witness rushed to the spot where he had fallen, and at the same time called to another seamen to get a dootor. The deceased never moved after the fall, and on the doctor’s arrival life was pronounced extinct. A CLEVER DIVER. The witness stated that he had never 6een or known any person diving from the truck of the mainmast of the ship before. The fall from the truck, to the well was approximately 40ft, and to clear the snip’s handrail the deceased would have had to make about 26ft. The deoeased would have cleared the rail, said witness, if it had not been for the wind. He was a very clever swimmer and diver, and was believed to have a wife living in London. Thomas Newman, a greaser on the' 6.5. Kent, gave corroborative evidence. He stated that he had seen the feat of diving from the mainmast done before, but considered it was dangerous in the wind. Witness said the deceased, who was a good diver, was in the mast for about five or six minutes. In hie opinion, he was quite sober. “A DARING MAN.” Herbert Cardin, medical officer on the s.s. Kent, said the deceased was in good health, and of fine physique. He was a high-spirited man, and would often attempt daring feat 6. On being called to the scene of the accident, witness examined the deceased and found he had suffered a compound fracture of the left leg, and was bleeding from the mouth and the nose. He also sustained many other serious injuries. The coroner: Was there a wind blowing?—Yes; there was a stiffisH wind blowing in gusts. COMMENTS BY CORONER. In summing up, the coroner said it was one of those accidents which were continually happening. The deceased had a reputation as a swimmer, and on a day like Tuesday it was natural that he would want to go for a swim. As it had been already stated, tho deceased was a high-spirited man, and he must have realised that his position on the mast contained risk. He, therefore, waited a while, and it must he concluded thought the wind had lulled, for ho dived, only to be swung in towards the hand-rail. The finding was that the deceased died from injuries accidentally received through striking the hand-rail of the s.s. Kent while attempting to dive 40 ft from the mainmast.