FALL OVER HIGH CLIFF

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 29, 4 February 1935, Page 8

FALL OVER HIGH CLIFF

MUSTERER FOUND DEAD. EVIDENCE AT INQUEST. GISBORNE, Jan. 30. In connection with the death .of Ruakituri, 36 miles from Wairoa, of Eric William Clark, a musterer, an inquest was. held by Mr. V. E. Winter, district coroner. A. W. Reed, manager of Barker Brothers’ station, stated that deceased, witness’ son and T. B. Monteath left ’the startion at 4 o’clock on Sunday morning to go mustering, with instructions to work along a certain point on the run. On the arrival of the others at the point decided upon deceased did not appear, and witness went to see what had detained him. Witness observed deceased’s horse and dogs at the bottom of a cliff, and found deceased’s body in a small ravine at the bottom of the cliff where the horse had fallen a distance of 300 ft., the first 30ft. being a sheer drop.

Corroborative evidence was heard and the inquiry was adjourned to Wairoa. The coroner and police sergeant (thanked the settlers for the assistance they had rendered. A most remarkable fact is that the horse suffered no injury.

At the conclusion of the inquiry the coroner found that deceased met his death while engaged in musrtering on Ruakituri station as a result of injuries accidentally received through the horse he was riding falling over a cliff.