KILLED BY FISH

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19804, 5 December 1938, Page 7

KILLED BY FISH

STAB FROM STINGRAY GIRL’S HEART PIERCED FIANCE’S TRAGIC STORY EVIDENCE AT INQUEST The inquest into the death of Miss Jessie Merle Laing, aged 18, of Waitakaruru, at the Thames coast on Sunday afternoon, was held in Thames by the district coroner, Mr. IV. Bongard, who found that death was due to the heart being stabbed by a salt water fish, believed to be a stingray.

Frederick George Banfield, sharemilker, of Mangatarata, said he had known Miss Laing for two and a-half years, and became engaged to her r 8 months ago. He and Miss Laing left her home at Waitakaruru and went to a beach on the Thomas coast two miles south of Tapu on his motor-cycle. At about 4 p.m. they went into the sea for a swim. The tide was well out. and the beach at this particular place was composed of sand and smooth rocks. After •bathing for 10 minutes he left tne water, as he thought it was too cold. Miss Laing said she would stay in a few minutes longer. Call to Companion “I was standing a few yards away with my back to the water,” continued witness, “'when Jessie called. ‘Fred, Fred.’ 1 immediately turned round and saw her pointing, and on looking in the direction in which she was pointing, I saw the water in a disturbed state, and also something that appeared to be the fin of a fish just above the water. When Jessie called me she was running toward me. She was in shallow water. “I went to meet her, but just before I got to her she collapsed and fell on her hands and knees. I put my arms under hers and dragged her out of the water. She was unconscious, but still breathing. I stopped a passing tiuck, on which Jessie was placed and taken to the Thamas Hospital." To the coroner, witness said:—’ I thought the water was fairly cold. Jessie said it was not so cold when she got into the water. She did not walk more than 10 paces after she called to me. The only words Jessie uttered were when she called me.” Nature of the Wounds

Dr. J. B. Liggins said that the external injuries included an incised wound on the chest, clean cut, 2in. long and gaping open an inch wide. On the inner aspect of the left thigh there were two parallel wounds 2in. apart, each about Gin. long. Between these two 'Wounds there was a further wound parellel to them about 2in. long. Through the wound on the chest the heart had been completely transfixed by a sharp pointed instrument. ‘Tn my opinion,” said witness, “Death was due to haemorrhage following a penetrating wound transfixing both vertricles of the heart. The wounds could have been by the spine on the tail of a stingray.” The coroner: Death would follow quickly following such wounds? Dr. Liggins: Yes: it would only be a matter of minutes. Coroner’s Comment

Death had been quite obviously caused by a salt water fish, said the coroner, and there was reason to believe that it was caused by a stingray. That was the only type of salt water fish frequenting the coast that could inflict such wounds. “One could sum this case up as being a most regrettable and a very rare happening,” said the coroner. “It will be recorded as evidence of a happening able to occur to sea bathers under the unusual circumstances, that the deceased was bathing at a particular beach at low water, that there was a high off-shore wind, which would encourage stringrays to make for the shallow waters under the hill, and that deceased walked or swam directly on to the fish.” “It is a most regrettable and rare happening.” repeated the coroner, adding that it was doubtful if a similar case had been recorded in the •history of the country. It had shocked tne district. .