DEATH BY DROWNING

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 88, Issue 201, 23 August 1944, Page 3

DEATH BY DROWNING

LATE MR. R. W. ORTON That Robert William Orton, farmer, of Makirikiri, aged 59, met his death by drowning was the verdict returned by the district coroner, Mr. S. M. Dixon, at the conclusion of the adjourned inquest held yester day. Mr. Orton’s car plunged into the Wiuiganui River near Upokongaro on the afternoon of August 12, and his body was recovered in it with the aid of a diver on August 14. • Constable H. H. Hudson, who was in charge of the search for deceased, conducted the coronial proceedings on behalf of the police. “Deceased was found lying in the rear of the car, and had* apparently been thrown over the driving seat.” said Constable Hudson, who was in charge of the search for the body, with Constables S. F. Best and A. A. Fraser. Witness said that the indications were that deceased was drowned. . He had only one small bruise on the forehead. An examination of the steering gear of the car later indicated that it was in good ord«r. “I would sav that perhaps deceased was too familiar with the ‘old road,’ ” witness added. “He had travelled over it hundreds of times. I would say that he was travelling too close to the inner side of the road, nnd got the front right-hand, wheel inM the water table on that side, collided w'th a papa projection which threw the rar out of control. The acceleration on this particular* model of car is both powerful and spontaneous.” Constable Hudson said that although the Wanganui Countv Council did not keep the road under repair, the settlers did so. Tn the normal course of event’s it was unite safe to travel over, and had a fair surface. The “old road” was used Vw settlers Kaiwhaiki road in the Makirikiri district, and saved them about a mile compared with the new road in comm® to town. Witness said that the road was about 45 f?et above the wate r where deceased’s car went over, and there was pimos< n drnn. Witness and the other nolice searched on August 13 nnd 1.4. nr-’ the r~ r was finally located bv a diver In 30 feet o* water. T.esie John Will’ n ms at Uookongaro that de^erse' l w*s cmite, normal and in "ood health when h n left tb« ct.ore short 1 v nft'*’’ t nm. Dp«eas<xd drove ove* tim ‘*ol rl ”oad.” which had been abandoned *ome vears ago as unsafe, but was "till used bv almost everyone *n the district, ns it caved about n mile. Witness s°’d that hf» went tn th n river about 5 p.m. and saw where a car had gone over the bank. Tyre marks showed that, the car’s righthand wheel had got into the water table, struck a projection, and travelled across the road into the river. Oil was floating on the water. The marks of the car going, over the bank were first seen by William Donald Mitchell, an employee of deceased. '-■'•'”l ’-n was cycling into Upokongaro about “ ' s-id he then got Mr. Williams, the sto > keeper.