FATAL SEIZURE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, 21 December 1927, Page 5

FATAL SEIZURE.

ENGINEER’S TRAGIC DEATH. (By Telegraph —Press Association.) GISBORNE, Tuesday. The death occurred this afternoon under tragic circumstances of John James Keane, engineer to the Cook County Council. In July last a cloudburst enveloped the Waimata Valley, some fourteen miles from Gisborne, and amongst, other damage washed away a bridge. This bridge was replaced a few weeks ago by a temporary low-level structure. In the course of road inspection work to-day, Mr Keane had to cross this new bridge. A member of the County Council, Mr J. Tomblcson, was about to cross the bridge this afternoon when lie noticed Mr Keane’s car balanced on the side of the bridge, with the front and rear wheels hanging over the water, the left-hand door open, and the engine still running. Mr Keane’s hat was seen in the water and a few mijiutes later his body was recovered lying in four feet of water. Mr Keane had lately been in illhealth and on more than one occasion recently had a seizure, one of these occurring at a recent meeting of the County Council, when Mi' Keane was immediately granted leave to recuperate. It is believed he had another seizure near or on the bridge to-day, and fell through the door into the river. He was fifty-one years of age. He had been County Engineer for nearly twenty years. He leaves a widow and a family of two children.