NEW RIVER FATALITY

Southland Times, Issue 17347, 19 May 1913, Page 2

NEW RIVER FATALITY

INQUEST ON MR J. M. COCHRANE. MR HAZLETT’S CONDUCT EULOGISED. The coronial enquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of John McLaren Cochrane wds held In the Courthouse on Saturday morning, before Mr G. Cruickshank, District Coroner. The police were represented by Sergeant Simpson. The chief witness was Cecil Haslett, who deposed that he was a merchant, carrying on business in Invercargill, and identified the deceased as John McLaren Cochrane, an accountant in the employ of Nichol Brothers. Witness and deceased had lived together, and on the. afternoon of May 10 they left town to go to their camp at Little Bush. In order to reach it they had to cross the Iron Bridge and then turn down to the left and cross the river to their camp. To cross the river they used a flatbottomed boat about twelve feet long. On the afternoon of Sunday, May 11, the deceased and witness returned to the boat. Intending to cross the river and come home. They had two guns and a canvas bag containing some provisions. Witness was wearing long gum boots and an oilskin coat, in addition to which he had a cartridge belt containing twenty-five .cartridges strapped round his waist. Deceased wore a tweed overcoat, and also had a pair of knee gum boots on. Witness took the oars and deceased sat in the! stern. At the point where they crossed, the river was about sixty yards wide, and was running at about four or five miles an hour. When the boat was within about fifteen yards of -tho'part of the bank where they were accustomed to land, witness .looked over his shoulder towards the bank; at the same time keeping the nose of the boat up stream in order not to get broadside on. His attention was then attracted by deceased standing up in the boat, and witness then noticed for the first time that the stern was nearly under water. He pulled as hard as he could In order to get ashore before she swamped. The boat then seemed to sink all of a sudden, and through deceased standing up ho canted over into the water Inshore of witness, who sat in the boat until the water reached his waist. He then turned over on to his breast and started to swim, pushing deceased in front of him. Deceased could not swim, but his overcoat was bulged out and seemed to be keeping him afloat. Witness continued to push him until they were within a few feet of the bank, and when he thought it was shallow enopgh he asked deceased: “Can you touch the bottom yet. Jack?" The deceased seemed dazed, and shook his head and said “No.” They both got into an eddy and were whirled round, and witness called to deceased to catch hold of the tail of his oilskin coat. Witness then started for the shore towing deceased, and he made a little progress until he was pulled under. When he came to the surface again he managed to make a little further progress, but was again pulled under. When he was under water the second time he felt the deceased let go his hold on his coat. He thought deceased was under water when he let go. It was the weight of deceased hanging on which had pulled him under. Whence came to the surface the second time witness could not see any sign of deceased, so he struck out for. the shore. He landed, ran up the bank, and could then see the deceased standing up in the water with his head thrown back and his pipe in his mouth. Witness ran along the bank and threw off his oilskin and his ordinary coat and jumped back into the river. He still had his gum-boots on. The current had carried deceased down stream a chain or more, alnd he was four or five yards from the bank. Witness reached deceased and caught him by the overcoat collar. He then swam ashore with him. When they reached the bank, which was about six or seven feet high, witness found the deceased too heavy to carry up the bank, and he could not hear any response to his calls for assistance. He slit a hole in deceased’s overcoat, and hunt it on a twig on a gorse bush. He mounted the bank and started his motor car, but, in turning, the rear wheel got oft the road, and witness could not get it back. He abandoned the car and ran on foot to Mr Ronald’s place, which was a mile away. Mr Ronald and Mr Stevens got a springcart and they drove back to the river. Placing a rope under deceased’s armpits they pulled him up the bank. Witness was certain that, deceased was dead when lie first saw him from the bank, and he thought he succumbed when he let go his hold. Witness did not think that deceased was under water long enough to drown, but was rather inclined to think that his death was due to heart failure. ' The boat had been used by them for four or five years, and was in good order. It was possible that an eddy caught her, and the water came over the stern. William' Robert Ronald gave evidence showing that the deceased was found hanging face downwards in the water, his coal hitched to a stick of gorse. The river would be about twelve feet deep at that spot. Mr D. Cochrane, brother of the deceased. speaking on behalf of the relatives, expressed their appreciation of the heroic efforts made by Mr llaslett to save his brother's life. The Coroner's verdict was that the deceived was accidentally drowned, and Mr Cnilckshnnk said that he would place on record his appreciation of Mr Hazlett’s plucky conduct.