Death of much-loved Mangonui woman due to health condition, not seawall fall - Coroner

The location on Waterfront Drive in Mangonui where Anthea Goodwin fell into the harbour was unfenced with only a low "nib" to stop vehicles going off the edge. Photo / Peter Jackson

The death of a well-known Far North woman who fell into Mangonui Harbour from an unfenced section of road was caused by heart disease and not the fall itself, a coroner has found.

Anthea Janet Goodwin, who was 89, died on the evening of September 15, 2020, after falling from Waterfont Drive in central Mangonui.

Her death, and another fall at the same location just 48 hours later, prompted calls from some Doubtless Bay residents for a safety barrier along the harbourside road heavily used by vehicles and pedestrians.

The Auckland woman involved in the second fall suffered minor injuries.

In findings released on Monday, however, Coroner Tania Tetitaha ruled that Goodwin's death was due to heart disease caused by high blood pressure, with other medical conditions playing a contributing role.

Tetitaha said Goodwin was a "mother figure" to several of her nieces and nephews, including Peter Sewell, who had been visiting to help with odd jobs around her home.

Sewell told the inquest that his usually active aunt was not her normal self when he arrived in Mangonui the night before her fall.

She complained of fatigue and a headache and spent much of the time in bed.

The following evening the pair had dinner at a Thai restaurant on Waterfront Drive. She was unsteady on her feet, which Sewell had never seen before.

Lifelong conservationist Anthea Goodwin planting trees at Rangikapiti Reserve in Mangonui. Photo / supplied

As they were leaving his aunt crossed the road saying she wanted to look at the sea.
Sewell briefly lost sight of her due to poor street lighting and a passing van, then heard a scream and a splash.

He climbed down a bank into the water and found his aunt floating face down in chest-deep water. He managed to get her to the seawall then sought help at a nearby cafe.

Bystanders helped lift her onto the road and performed CPR for 20 minutes. She could not be revived.

Tetitaha said an inquest had been ordered because of competing evidence about the cause of death and the presumption that it was due to the fall from an unfenced seawall.

"There had also been some rumours and some public discussion about Ms Goodwin's cause of death and about whether further action was required to ensure that similar deaths would never occur again in that area," she said.

However, forensic pathologist Jane Vuletic said there was "strong evidence" that underlying heart disease had caused her to fall into the water. Hypertension, or high blood pressure, could cause a collapse at any time.

It was not possible to say whether the collapse was survivable or, given her age, whether a defibrillator could have restored her heart rhythm.

Other findings from the post-mortem ruled out drowning as a cause of death.

One of the issues arising from the inquest was the need to ensure people did not fall into the sea from Waterfront Drive, where the Far North District Council had a "reasonably practical duty" for public safety, Tetitaha said.

Mark Osborne, project manager for a Mangonui Waterfront redevelopment project funded by the council and Kānoa (previously the Provincial Growth Fund), told the inquest a three-metre-wide boardwalk was being built alongside the road in the area where Goodwin fell.

The boardwalk would include improved street lighting and a wire fence, as well as steps allowing access to the water.

For that reason, Tetitaha said it appeared unlikely that anyone else could fall into the water in similar circumstances and no recommendations were needed.

Council infrastructure manager Andy Finch hoped the coroner's findings would answer questions her friends and family may have had and provide some peace of mind.

Anthea Goodwin was a well-known and active member of the Far North community and her sudden death was a shock to many, he said.

A dedicated conservationist, Goodwin was involved in the Whakaangi Trust, Friends of Rangikapiti Reserve, Puketi Forest Trust, Project Island Song and The Shadehouse.

She also worked at Auckland Museum, volunteered with the Miranda Shorebird Trust and took part in many environmental projects and expeditions, including to southern Chile and Antarctica as a photographer and ornithologist.

Friends of Rangikapiti chairman John Haines described her as a remarkable woman who spent a lifetime making our planet a better place.

"She had a unique gift of relating positively to all people but particularly children and sharing her knowledge and love for nature with them," Haines said.