FATALITY ON FARM

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 28, 30 January 1929, Page 3

FATALITY ON FARM

WHAKEIIHA 31AX STRUCK BY HAY HOIST. ACCIDENTAL DEATH VERDICT. CORONER ISSUES WORD OE WARNING. It seems that sufficient] cave is not always exorcised in the erection of ihay hoists, and as several accidents in connection with the operation of ,these have occurred lately it may be necessary tor regulations tb be brought in in regard to them. This was the opinion expressed by the District Coroner, Mr W. L. Kennedy, J.P., yesterday when following an 'inquest into the circumstances surrounding the death of Herbert' Pittarns, of Wharehuia, a verdict was 'returned in accordance with medical testimony.

The verdict was that deceased me his death through being accidentally struck by a hay hoist and sustaining concussion of the base of the skull.

Mr Kennedy said that as farmers would not like to be harrassed by regulations and Government inspectors, it behoved them to exercise

every possible care in regard to the erection and operation of the hoists. The inquest, which had been opened tor identification purposes on Sunday and adjourned, was resumed yesterday afternoon. "LOOK OUT!" Alfred Lister Downes, a farmer of Beaconsfield Road, Wharehuia, said the deceased and others were engaged in haymaking at Mr Richmond's' ■property On January 25. Witness was working the trip of the hoist, and deceased was working the grab. A grab of hay was being raised on to the stack, Mr Croydon Richmond doing the stacking. The latter called out' "Look out!" and witness just g'et clear as the pole fell and st'ruck deceased on the head rendering him unconscious. Dr. Steven was summoned, and the injured man was removed to the Hospital. Witness had been working with the same gear for the last three weeks, and the guy ropes appeared to he in g'ood condition. The cause of the pole falling was the breaking of one of guy rope which was not old. iS'G DEFECT IN GUY ROPE. Clifford Lyall Jam;es Murray, a farmer o£ Wharehuia, said he heard a shout and saw the pole fall and strike deceased. The stacking gear was icwncd by witness, and had been in use for three weeks this season. There seemed to be n 0 defect' in the guy rop which was not old. FRACTURE OF SKjDLL. Dr. D. Steven, who was called out to attend deceased, said the latter was suffering from a severe fracture of the base of the skull and injuries to the right 1 leg. Deceased was removed to the Hospital where he died at 11 o'clock next morning, the cause of death being a fracture of the base of the skull.