ACCIDENTS & FATALITIES

Southland Times, Issue 17865, 16 January 1918, Page 5

ACCIDENTS & FATALITIES

A BATHING FATALITY. WEST COAST JOURNALIST DROWNED. (Per United Press Association.) WESTPORT, January 15. William Gothard, one of the proprietors of the Westport Times and Star, a journalist of many years’ standing, was in for a bathe on the Utopia beach this afternoon. About 5 p.m. he was seen in the water by others, who had previously been bathing there. A little later a lad brought news that a man’s body was lying on the edge of the water and others came along and recognised it as Mr Gothard. The body was .still warm and artificial restoration was tried for three-quarters of an hour but without success. The doctor on arrival pronounced life extinct, and stated that death appeared to be due to heart failure. Deceased was a frequent bather on this part of the beach. He was 57 years of age. He joined the Times and Star as an apprentice in 1874, subsequently becoming part proprietor. MAN DROWNED. AUCKLAND. January 15. James Nasey, labourer, aged 58 years, was drowned in the harbour this afternoon. With his nine-year-old son he was fishing from a boat, which capsized. The son was rescued by two other lads. The body, was immediately recovered. THE RIVERTON FATALITY. An inquest into the circumstances surrounding the death of Mr G. Gorton, who met his death as the result of a bicycle accident on Sunday last, was held at Riverton on Monday' before Mr C. E. Johnstone, J.P. (acting coroner). Mrs Gorton, wife of deceased, said that her husband, when a lad of eight years, had met with an accident to his head which had affected him throughout his life. From the evidence given it was apparent that he was going at a fair pace down hill and as he reached the road the speed increased, with the result that he lost control of the machine and dashed over the bank, landing on a particularly stony part of the beach. The verdict of the jury wras; “That the said George Gorton came by his death through being accidentally' thrown from hia bicycle at Riverton on 13th January, 1918, the immediate cause of death being laceration of the brain consequent upon injuriaa to the skull.”