BOY'S' SKULL FRACTURED.
DUNEDIN, This Day. A boy, Norman Nilson, fell 20 feet over a bank at McAndrew Bay yesterday, sustaining a facture of the skull. He was admitted to the hospital in a serious condition. -Ashburton Guardian, 25/6/1934.
FATAL INJURIES.
Norman Nilson, who resides with his parents at, Macandrew Bay, died at 1.50 this afternoon as the result of injuries sustained when he fell down a 20ft bank yesterday. -Evening Star, 23/6/1934.
FALL OVER BANK
TRAGIC END TO GAME
BOY SUCCUMBS TO INJURIES
An inquest was held yesterday morning regarding the death of Norman William Ragnvald Nilson, aged 14, who died on June 25 as the result of injuries received when he fell down a bank at Macandrew Bay. The coroner was Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M., and Sergeant Vaughan conducted the inquiry for the police.
Albert Ernest Hellyer, 11 years of age, residing at Macandrew Bay, said that on June 24 he left his home about 1.45 p.m. and went round to Nilson’s. Later the deceased and his younger brother, Charles Nilson, and he went on to the Marine parade, which was not far from their homes. The Marine parade was a roadway running along the top of a high bank above the main Dunedin-Macandrew Bay road. They were playing "cowboys and Indians,” and Charles Nilson and he tied Norman Nilson at his legs, and then tied his hands to his legs with a piece of rope. This was among the bushes growing on the face of the bank and about threequarters way up the bank. Norman began to struggle to free himself, and started to roll down the bank. The bank where they tied Norman up was not quite so steep, but he struggled towards the steeper part of the bank and then began to roll faster. He called out and they tried to get hold of him, but were unable to do so. He continued to roll down the bank and went out of their sight, and then they heard him fall on to the road below. The Nilson boys got the rope from their own home, and they had previously played this same game, though not on the Marine parade. Charles Nilson and he had twice caught Norman Nilson to tie him up, but as he was much stronger he got away from them. He then said that if they caught him again he would let them tie him up. They did catch him again, and be then let them tie him with the rope. This was the time when he struggled over the bank. After he disappeared over the bank they rushed down to the road, where Charles Nilson cut the ropes off Norman and witness went and dipped his handkerchief in water. They thought he had fainted. Witness’s uncle, Herbert Hellyer, happened to pass in his car, and a man named Henderson also arrived on his bicycle. They placed Norman in the car and took him home.
Corroborative evidence was given by Alfred Charles Nilson. who stated that his brother, as he was starting to roll, called out, “Help, I’m rolling.’’ Albert Hellyer tried to stop him, but missed by a few inches. Besides the rope tied to his hands they had binder twine tied to his shoulders and his knees. They were all good friends.
Evidence was also given by Herbert George Hellyer and Constable Rushbatch.
The coroner said this was a tragic case of pure misadventure and did not call for any comment. The verdict was that death was due to intra-cranial haemorrhage and oedema of the brain following an accidental fall at Macandrew Bay. -Otago Daily Times, 3/7/1934.
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