Authorities have investigated what was initially believed to be an attack on broadcaster Barry Soper's son in Wellington, just three months after his other son was stabbed in the city's CBD.
The Newstalk ZB political editor last week told the Herald his son Hugh was attacked on a walking track near Karori just after midnight on Thursday.
Police have now investigated and on Monday said Hugh was not the victim of assault, but actually fell down a steep bank while walking on a track near Zealandia.
The 21-year-old has no memory of the incident, which left him with a fractured skull and a brain bleed, a broken eye socket, and possibly a broken collar bone and rib.
Soper said his son originally believed he was assaulted because his cellphone was gone. The phone was later found not far from where Hugh was discovered.
"The first thing he can remember is the flashing lights of the police car and an officer shining a torch at him."
Soper last week said Hugh, the youngest of five children, had called him from the hospital first thing the next morning and the broadcaster then went to his son's side.
When Soper spoke to the Herald last week, Hugh was having his second CT scan. This scan confirmed Hugh had a skull fracture.
Henry, 23, was leaving a bar in Courtenay Place in the early hours of July 28 when he got into an argument with a man he didn't know, who is alleged to have pulled a knife.
Soper said Henry put his arm up to fend off the blow but the knife went through his forearm, slicing nerves, tendons and damaging an artery.
Bleeding heavily, Henry was taken to hospital.
Soper said despite the injuries, his son Hugh was coping "pretty good".
"He is bewildered because he can't remember what happened, but other than that he is in pretty good spirits."
Soper said Hugh celebrated his 21st birthday recently and was a "good kid".
"He recently organised the Wellington College ball, which about 600 people went to.
"He organised that single-handedly so he is a bit of a entrepreneur."
