ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.
A sad case of accidental drowning occurred at Port Chalmers at half-past twelve yesterday afternoon. The victim was a married man named James Henderson, who was in the employ of the Government as wharf foreman, and the fatality took place in the public baths, which the deceased entered for the purpose of having a swim. The bathkeeper, Mr David Burt, says that after Henderson had been in the water about three minutes he sang out "This is grand," and swam nearly across the baths. He then turned, and had got more than half-way back when Mr Burt noticed his arms drop and his face go down in the water. Mr Burt at once sang out to the man and threw the lifebuoy quite close to him, but as deceased made no attempt to take it Mr Burt jumped into the water and brought Henderson on shore in about ten seconds. Messrs Colthorpe and Albertson, of the local Fire Brigade Ambulance Corps, rendered first aid until the arrival of Drs Cunninghame and Hendry, who tried for about an hour and a-half every means for resuscitation, but without avail, and the body was afterwards conveyed to his late residence. Deceased was highly respected, and his untimely death will be greatly deplored by a large number of friends. Before going into the water he remarked to the caretaker that it was about eighteen years since he had a swim. He seemed to be in perfect health. It is believed that the deceased's heart was affected. Mr Carew held an inquest on the body of deceased at Port Chalmers to-day. After hearing the evidence of Elizabeth Henderson, David Burt, and Dr Cunninghame the jury returned a verdict that the deceased died from syncope. -Evening Star, 20/11/1893.
Syncope is a term meaning a loss of concsiousness due to low blood pressure. He was born in Banff, Scotland, and had resided in Otago for 32 years.
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