ACCIDENTS & FATALITIES

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13867, 1 April 1909, Page 6

ACCIDENTS & FATALITIES

DROWNED IN THE FLOOD. Ou Tuesday all the creeks in the Waimate district were running bank full or more, and one young man lust his life in endeavouring to cross one of them —Hcrtslett's Creek, l^ook —on horseback. ' The deceased, whose name' was Francis Ryder, was employed by Mr Hertslett, and on Tuesday he rode into Waimate on business, and his horse returned later, riderless and minus a stirrup. Search was made for the boy, and the body was recovered some distance down the creek from the usual crossing. An inquest was held by Mr Hutchison, Coroner, yesterday, and evidence being given to the above effect, a verdict of accidentally drowned was returned. It will be seen from our report that the "Waimate County Council yesterday passed a resolution of sympathy with the deceased's family, and instructed the engineer to report on the question of bridging the creek. There was a. narrow escape from a second drowning accident in the same creek a- little lower down. A man was washed off his horse at another crossing,, and was carried down stream for some distance, and then caught and held on to a tussock. Some men who heard his outcries got horses and rescued him. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, March 31. At the inquest on S. Rogers, whose body was found in the harbour, the evidence showed that the deceased was 56 years old; that he was married, though it is not known where his wife

and children arc; that ho was a tailor, and came from Auckland in January seeking work. He had been worried through lack of employment, and had threatened to take his life- A verdict was returned that deceased was found drowned, and that there was clear evidence of suicide. CHRISTCJIURCH, March 31. Mr H. W. Bishop, Coroner, held an inquest at Lyttelton this morning into the death of William Slaven, a greaser, who died suddenly on the steamer Rakanoa on Monday night. After hearing the evidence of Dr Newell, who had made a post mortem examination and of two men. who had been in deceased's company, the Coroner pronounced death to he due to heart disease. INVERCARGILL, March 31. Donald McGregor, a sawmill hand at Forest Hill, -while working at a crosscut saw to-day, had his arm severed below the elbow. He is now in the hospital doing as well as possible.