THE INQUEST .

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12405, 21 November 1908, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE INQUEST .

In inquest 'was hold at the Police Station on Sunday-- afternoon before >' Mr E. E. Trask, J: P;, Acting Cor--oner", and the following jury:' Messrs; E. S. Cresswcll (foreman), R. Hunter, J. H. Einney, J. E. Clear, T.* W, Bradshaw and A. J. Gray. The 'jury having viewed the body evidence was taken as follows :— Dr Bett ■ stated that on Saturday night about 11.15 he was called to the mudflat below Wahvui street and saw the body of deceased. He was informed that lie had been submerged in water for some hours. He examined him ' but there was no sign of life. -Death, was due to. 'drowning: Artificial respiration was tried for over an hour without success. ■ Arthur Daly, tailor, residing in Halifax street, deposed that he was in-* ti mately acquainted with deceased . About half past seven o'clock ori Sat-urday-evening Jie and Gundersou went to tho mudflat. They got into a-din-gey belonging to deceased's father, for the purpose of proceeding to another boat, which was anchored about six hundred yards from Warren's paddock. The dingey started* to : leak and he spoke- to deceased about it who' remarked "That it would be all right' as" they would be there in no time.". Deceased appeared bo he satisfied-, with the progress they were making, , although the water was making fast."When about fifty yards Jrorn the "boat they; were going to the began to_roll. Witness said to Gunderson. "We'll have to takp our coato and, vests, off and swim for it.". Deceas-' cd said' lie did not think he could l swim that far. "Witness asked de-< ceased -to. stick to the boat while he swam to the other boat. . Witness took his coat-off and junked into the water. : Deceased also had his coat off and was in the middle, of the dingey "when witness' left. The water was then nearly upt6:the"seat of the dingey. He reached the -boat safely and hung on to tho gunn whale. He sang out to Guiiderson who replied that Jie was all right. Witness then clambered into the boat and called for help, also calling out words of encouragement to ' deceased. T_he cries brought a response from tile shore. The' last hail he got from deceased was about five minutes before the rescue boat came. Deceased's last call sounded like "Hurry-up I'm nearly done for." A boa tarrived withiVlr Rudman, and lice told him to go to Gunderson who he thought was still hanging on the the" dingey. Rudman went to the dingey but Gunderson was missing. ; Two other boats also came up and went in search of deceased,. ~ He (witness) was taken ashore and then the police were telephoned for. The next time he saw deceased was after eleven o'clock when, the body was found. " He was only a meditim jswimmer . and, could not havo swam back 'to thV dingey. He'tlimight there was about seven or eight feet of water near the boatJie got into. Ho was sure the dingey was not capsized when he jumped over . It appeared to 'him -that Gunderson must have got over the side of the dingey into the water and was hanging on to the gun whale. Gunderson appeared to be anxious, but was not excited when lie left. The dingey would have been safe if she had been watertight. Deceased appeared to be quite satisfied that lie should risk getting to the other boat. Witness said lie believed each oiic would have a better chance if there was only one in the dingey. - _ .- Thomas W. Bradshaw deposed. that ho was. one of tho party who searched for deceased, and about 11.1.5 ]>o found tlie body lying in about two. or three feet of water. Deceased was lyingon his back. Witness. then as^ sisted to get him to the shore-and-artificial means of ; respiration word tried by the Police Constables and others. ' The row locks of tho. din-: gey arid deceased's knife wore found , near-the body. . ; . Edgar Gunderson, a brother of deceased j '-stated that the dingey w&i Bft 6in long. ; It had been up on the. bank for some- time and the wind and sun' had 'evidently opened the seams: He had been in the dingey with two other persons and it was quite safe and was a good sea. boat when tight.' The dingey had : not been in the. water for about a month ." ; If the boat was three parts full -of water it would bet almost impossible for it _to capsize. The boat .'must have been 'pulled over. His brother was. a fairly good swimmer. : ' [ It was stated that the boat- wa§ found bottom up. ■':■/. •■ .. . > . r The jury returned a verdict that deceased was accidentally drowned, through the capsizing of a dingey. .