FALL DOWN WELL

Southland Times, Issue 22295, 10 April 1934, Page 5

FALL DOWN WELL

WAIKIWI FATALITY. VERDICT AT INQUEST. At the inquest held yesterday concerning the death of Frederick Longman, a painter, aged 58 years, who tell into a well at the rear of his section in Gordon street, Collingwood, on Sunday afternoon, a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence was returned by the Coroner (Mr E. C. Levvey, S.M.). His finding was to the effect that the deceased fell into the well following upon a fainting turn caused by a heart attack. Sergeant J. Abel represented the police. Doris Longman, a daughter of the deceased, stated that she was crossing to the washhouse on Sunday when she saw her father working beside the well with a shovel. That was the last, occasion upon which she saw him alive. Irene M. Longman, another daughter of the deceased, stated that shortly before 5 o’clock she went to the well in the back garden to obtain some water for the garden, and then discovered her father lying inside. Further evidence was given by a son, Arthur William Longman, who said that a number of years before his father had suffered an accident which had caused him to become giddy, after stooping. It was about a year since he had been under a doctor. The well was about six feet deep and there was about three feet of water in it at the time. There was no chance of his father getting out unaided. Leslie D. Manson, a neighbour of the Longmans, deposed to having assisted in the recovery of the body. Constable Nesbit said that the well was situated beside a bank, on top of which were two well-defined skid marks which might have been caused by deceased’s boots oi - knees. Longman had apparently been cleaning rubbish from beside a nearby hedge. He would add that the well was “a proper death trap,” being uncovered and measuring about two feet by six feet, with the top flush with the ground. Medical evidence was given by Dr. T. W. Barr Stoddart, who stated that the old injury mentioned by the. son would have had nothing to do with the fatality. He was of the opinion that Longman had a fainting turn caused by a heart attack, and by a mischance had fallen into the well, where he had lain with his head under the water. From his post-mortem examination he had concluded that Longman’s death had not been wholly due to his having been submerged in the well. This concluded the evidence, the Coroner returning a verdict in the terms already indicated.