MOUNTAIN ACCIDENT

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21185, 7 August 1940, Page 9

MOUNTAIN ACCIDENT

DESCENT OF TOBOGGAN RECOMMENDATION BY JURY (By Telegrapn.—Special to Times) TAUMARUNUI, Tuesday An inquest into the death of Thomas Brian Conlan, aged 18, who was injured when tobogganing on Mount Ruapehu on July 21 and died in the Taumarunui Hospital on July 22, was held before the actingcoroner, Mr J. Maher, and a jury of four. Mildred Elsie McDannold, of Wanganui, said she and deceased tobogganed down a slope, she sitting in front doing the steering. They intended to come down the same slope again, but a man called out from the top for them to go d,own the next slope. After they had gone some distance down the second slope, they came to the top of a steep face about 12 or 14ft. in height. At the bottom of this face were rocks and farther down was a deep ravine. On coming to the top of the steep face they were travelling at such a speed that they were unable to stop, with the result that they went straight over the face. No Special Instruction The toboggan landed in the snow on the top side and to the left of a rock. Deceased was thrown off and witness stopped about two yards below him with the toboggan partly under her. She noticed deceased roll down against the rock. As a result of the accident, witness suffered a fracture of the right ankle. There were guides at the hut, but no special guides to instruct them in tobogganing. To the Coroner: There were no notices posted to warn people of any danger. Dr. W. E. Fisher said tire cause of death was syncope as the result of shock and the loss of some blood in a constitutionally frail subject. A verdict was returned that deceased died from injuries received when he met with an accident on Mount Ruapehu. The jury added a rider that in its opinion more advice and more protection against accidents should be made available to parties visiting Mount Ruapehu, and it strongly recommended that all guides employed at mountain resorts should have ambulance training,