WATERSIDE FATALITY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3384, 22 January 1919, Page 43

WATERSIDE FATALITY.

A QUESTION OF LIABILITY. : : , " ; CHRISTCHUROH, January 17. At an inquest concerning the death of W. J. Chapman, who died of injuries received at Lyttelton on December 18 by a boat from the gteamer Rosamond falling >• on him,' a verdict was • returned to that effect, with .the following rider.: — "(a) That at the time of the accident there was on the ship, the owner of which is the Union Steam Ship Company, a lifeboat slung on davits, the releasing gear of which had been unfastened, thus rendering t'he. position of the boat on the davits insecuro; ! (b) that whilst the releasing gear waa in this imperfect condition an employee of the said company, unskilled in the mechanism of davits and their releasing gear, was placed to work in the said boat; (c) that" whilst the boat was thus hanging insecurely in the davits and the deceased and other workmen of the company were passing to and fro under the boat to the knowledge' of their foremen, it- fell from the davits with violence and injured the deceased, and in consequence of such injuries he died: (d) that the falling of such boat was caused partly by the unsafe condition of the releasing gear and the unwitting action of the said employee in striking: 'it with' his baolc when rising from his work In the said boat."