DEATH BY DROWNING

Southland Times, Issue 24003, 19 December 1939, Page 3

DEATH BY DROWNING

An inquest into the death of Albert Henry Metzger, whose body was found in the Bluff harbour on November 26, was held before the Coroner (Mr R. C. Abernethy). Charles Arthur Barker said that about 6 p.m. he heard that there was a body floating on the harbour and went to inform the police. He last saw Metzger on November 12. William B. Dixon, owner of the schooner Britannia, said that Metzger was employed on his boat as an engineer. He had not seen Metzger for some time, but this was not unusual, as he quite often used to visit the country. Carol Jacob Hansen, a waterside worker, said he had known Metzger for about 30 years. The last time he saw him was outside the Club Hotel some days before his body was found. At that time Metzger told the witness that he was going to his sister’s home near Wrights Bush. Constable Parkes described the recovery of the body which, he said, appeared to have been in the water for eight or nine days. Metzger could quite easily have fallen into the sea when going to or from the Britannia. The Coroner said that the man appeared to have died about November 17, the cause of death being drowning. There was no information as to how he got into the harbour.