POLICE CONSTABLE’S BODY FOUND

Southland Times, Issue 24356, 10 February 1941, Page 6

POLICE CONSTABLE’S BODY FOUND

(United Press Association) WANGANUI, February 9. The body of a police constable guarding the wreck of the vessel Port Bowen on Castlecliffe beach was found at the high-water mark this morning. He was Constable N. L. Berntsen, aged 25, a married man with two children. Apparently he had been fishing off the vessel and at high-water on Saturday night his line became fouled. He decided to go out at low water, at 2 o’clock this morning, and evidently got into difficulties. He was a permament policeman doing duty at the wreck, taking over the watch when the men dismantling the vessel ceased work each day. He had been in the force for three years, the last six months in Wanganui. NAVAL STOKERS DEATH (United Press Association) AUCKLAND, February 9. Found lying on the Pukekohe East road at 5 a.m. on January 27 suffering from head injuries after his motorcycle had crashed into a bank the previous night, Douglas Fletcher, a naval stoker, aged 23, died in the Auckland hospital on Saturday morning. Fletcher's home was in Bombay and he was returning to Auckland, after visiting his brother in Pukekohe when the accident occurred. WOMAN’S BODY FOUND IN ESTUARY The body of Mrs L. B. McGilvray, of 118 Liddel street, was found in the estuary yesterday morning. She had been in poor health for some years. An inquest will be held. COLLISION AT LONGBUSH James Grieve, aged 41, of Longbush, was admitted to the Southland Hospital on Saturday with a fractured right leg and abrasions, received when the motor-cycle he was riding collided with a motor-car driven by Arthur Scobie. INJURIES TO LEFT HAND Loftus Ogier, a married man, aged 42, of 87 Leet street, was admitted to the Southland Hospital on Saturday suffering from injuries to his left hand received while using an axe. ;