DEATH OF AIRMAN IN RAIL YARDS

Wanganui Chronicle, 7 October 1946, Page 6

DEATH OF AIRMAN IN RAIL YARDS

CORONER SAYS HE FEELS AIR FORCE IS SLACK (P.A.) Wellington, Oct. 4. "I can't help feeling that the Air Force is slack in some respects,” said the coroner, Mr. G. W. Mellish, finding that James Gavin Hughan, an airman stationed at the R.N.Z.A.F. station at Mangaroa, died on September 20 at the railway yards, Wellington, as the result of accidental electrocution.

The Air Force, he said, was too inclined to employ inexperienced men on jobs that often entailed considerable risk. Another distressing feature of the case was the fact that nobody in the vicinity of the accident had had any knowledge of life-saving methods. Had any person there been skilled in the art of resuscitation the tragedy might not have occurred. On September 20, Hughan had been assisting with the loading of a railway wagon as part of his service duties. A mobile crane operated by another airman had been employed to unload water tanks from an Ait Force truck.

“It is evident,” said the coroner, that during the lifting of one of these tanks the end of the crane jib came into contact with an overhead power line. Hughan had been grasping the crane hook at the time and immediate electrocution resulted.”

Although he attached no blame to the operator of the crane, the coroner said that the latter could not have Printing Office should print the New the time of the accident.