Journalist accidentally drowned, coroner finds

A police officer at the scene of Helen Bain's death in 2009. File photo / APN

An inquest into the death of Helen Bain has found the journalist accidentally drowned while attempting to cross a Masterton river on horse.

Ms Bain, 38, died when she fell from her horse and was swept away while attempting to cross the Ruamahanga River on December 29, 2009.

The former political editor of the Sunday Star Times followed her friend Loren Batson across the river, however with the water up around the horse's belly, Ms Bain opted to turn around.

"This caused her horse to panic as the water was hitting it in the rear," Wellington Regional Coroner Ian Roderick Smith's report read. "The horse reared up, losing its footing causing Ms Bain to fall out of the saddle, however she still has hold of the reins."
Ms Bain was swept further downstream, the report said, however she was able to grab hold of some willow tree branches on the edge of the river.

Ms Batson sought the help of her partner Clinton Dougan, who swam out and dragged Ms Bain to shore. He gave her CPR and Ms Bain was airlifted to hospital, but unfortunately she died.

A post-mortem from forensic pathologist Dr John Rutherford in 2009 concluded the medical cause of death was from drowning.
Expert witness John Stevenson, of Reporoa, an elite coach for New Zealand Endurance Riding, gave evidence on the behaviour of horses when crossing rivers.

He said he would not personally attempt to turn a horse in water, and if he did he would by turning it upstream, as by turning it downstream the horse's tail would have been washed in underneath the horse's back legs, spooking the horse.

Mr Smith, said there was no need to make any recommendations.

"Ms Bain made the decision to cross the river knowing the risk involved. She was a competent horsewoman, however she could not swim.

"It is difficult to cross a swiftly flowing boulder or rocky bottom river on foot and it is equally difficult for a horse. If either a horse stumbles and falls, or a person stumbles and falls, it is very difficult to regain footings and there is a significant danger that both horse and person will be swept into deeper water as what occurred here.

"Tragically for Ms Bain she could not swim and drowned."

- Herald Online