DEATH BY DROWNING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26179, 15 June 1946, Page 8

DEATH BY DROWNING

INQUEST CONCLUDED

The inquest was completed yesterday into the death of Hugh Bennett, a painter, aged 54, of 1 Marion street, Caversham, whose body was found in the harbour at Port Chalmers on the night of June 6. Mr H. W. Bundle. S.M., sitting as coroner, returned a verdict that the deceased had been accidentally drowned. Sergeant J. O’Shea, of Port Chalmers, conducted the inquiry for the police, Mr A. N. Haggitt represented the Love Construction Company, Ltd., by whom Bennett was employed, and Mr K. W. Stewart appeared for the relatives of the deceased

Evidence had been given when the inquest was opened at Port Chalmers on June 7 and continued on June 10 that the deceased had been working on a ship in the dry dock and had left the dock to go to a lavatory. He had gone along a narrow path by the harbour and it appeared that he had slipped and fallen into the water. In re-examination by Mr Haggitt yesterday, Constable W. J. Robertson said that the path was bounded by a stone retaining wall which, at high tide, was about seven feet above the water.

The coroner remarked on the fact that the path, which was used only by workers in the dock, was badly lighted and suggested that this fact should be brought to the notice of the dock authorities.