ACCIDENTS & FATALITIES

Thames Star, Volume LVII, Issue 15308, 5 June 1922, Page 4

ACCIDENTS & FATALITIES

MAN DROWNED. (Press Association.) DARGAVILLE, June ft. Three men, MacDonald, Anderson and Charles Fleming, left Dargaville on Saturday night in a launch for a fishing expedition on the> river. When between Jock’s Point and Aratapu, 'the latter, who was in charge of the launch got up on the deck to open <& case of benzine. It is surmised mat he "overbalanced and fell in the rivei. He sang out to his companions that he was all right. They could not .see, however, and not being able to handle the launch could not search for him. Their cries brought assistance from -a passcr-by, but, by this time, Fleming had disappeared. Search parties have been out ever since, but have found no trace. The deceased was a taxi driver and a very strong swimmer, hut in the darkness, he would not have much chance as a strong tide was running. He was a married man and leaves a w»fe and three children. PAEROA DROWNING ACCIDENT. (From Our Correspondent.) . PAEROA, June 5. A man named Stephen Edward Hughes, aged 39, residing at Mill Road, Paeroa, was drowned on the Waihou River at 1.30 a.m. on Friday. Deceased was employed as a winchman on a Public Works Department dredge. It is believed he accidentally fell in the river whilst crossing on a plank from one pontoon to another. Deceased was a married man and leaves a wife and six children. An inquest was held yesterday be- 1 fore Mr W. M. Wallnutt and the verdict returned was in accordance with| the evidence —that death was accidentally caused by falling off a pontoon whilst following his usual employment. A rider recommending a further supply of planks was added. Mr Montague appeared at the inquest for the relatives, Sergeant O’Grady for the police and Mr L. Maj for the Public Works Department. FALL OF EARTH. (Press Association.) WELLINGTON, June 5. While excavating a building site at Momington, Phillip Larry Turnbull, aged 23, was killed by a fall of earth. William Arthur Thomas who saw the hank begin to move and called out a warning, but the earth caught and crushed Turnbull against