MAORI BOY’S DEATH

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 71, Issue 175, 26 July 1928, Page 7

MAORI BOY’S DEATH

CLIMBED POWER POLE KILLED BY LIVE WIRE [ Per Press Association J ROTORUA, July 25. The adjourned inquiry into the cir-, cumstances attending the death of Katu. Itapana, a boy of nine years, on July 18, was held this morning by Air S. L. Paterson, 8.M., district coroner. John McAlister, linesman, in the cuuploy of the Public Works Department, said that on July 18 he was patrolling the line. He arrived at Mourea about 12.45 p.m. and was told by a Alaon woman that she had seen a flash on the R-otorua-Opotiki transmission line, which had a voltage of 50,0UU. He went along and saw the body of a boy on top of the structure, about '5 t eet from the ground. The boy was dead, and his head was severed from his body and lay about 50 yards from the pole. There were steps on the pole, by means of which the boy. could have climbed. He might have got on to the telephone hut and then started to climb the pole. Ho appeared co have climbed up and then come into contact with the live wire.

Witness thought the boy had received a shock and had then fallen forward on to the wire, which had severed his head. It was dangerous to go within three feet of a wire carrying 50,000 volts.

The telephone hut was a permanent structure and was about 10 feet high. rp ho boy could get on the telephone box. He rang the operator at Ngongotaha to cut off the current. The verdict of the coroner was th-:t the deceased, Katu Rapana, by misadventure, came in contact with a bigh voltage electric ower line and was electrocuted. He further said hat telephone huts or similar structures should not be placed close to poles carrying power lines as to permit persons stepping therefrom on to steps placed on such poles.