Latest news with #CARD
Otago Daily Times
2 days ago
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Kaikōura boat capsize: Passengers killed by fumes after whale hit boat
The boat capsized off the coast of Kaikōura in 2022. Photo: Supplied / Transport Accident Investigation Commission The deaths of five people in a boat capsize off the Kaikōura coast was caused by exposure to petrol fumes while they were trapped under the hull, a coroner has found. The Nature Photography Society of New Zealand members were two hours into a bird-watching excursion when the boat was hit by a whale and capsized in September 2022. The skipper and five other passengers survived. On Wednesday, Coroner Alexandra Cunninghame publicly released findings into the deaths of Catherine Margaret Haddock, 65, and Susan Jane Cade, 63, of Lower Hutt, Diana Ruby Stewart, 68, Peter Charles Hockley, 76, and Maureen Pierre, 75, of Christchurch. All five were found within the air pocket under the upturned boat. The six survivors were either thrown into open water or managed to swim out from under the hull. The Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) had earlier found that the five passengers who died were trapped under the hull and flaws in the vessel's fuel system, which had not been identified when it was surveyed, allowed fuel to leak into the air pocket. Forensic pathologist Dr Hannah Elstub determined that the cause of death in each case was the result of petrol toxicity in a confined space. Sounds could be heard from under the vessel until around 17 minutes after the capsize. The coroner found exposure to as little as .14 litres of petrol in a confined space with the same dimensions as the air pocket under the boat could result in confusion, loss of consciousness and sudden death. The people who died were wearing inflatable life jackets, which might have prevented them from being able to escape from under the upturned vessel, and they all showed symptoms of petrol exposure consistent with inhalation and absorption of fumes. The TAIC made a number of recommendations relating to the maintenance and surveying of fuel lines, the use of inflatable lifejackets and the emergency response. The boat capsize highlighted failings in the emergency call system because the skipper had been able to call police, but the TAIC inquiry found the 111 system had caused "unnecessary delays". When police tried to give paramedics the accident's co-ordinates, a second fragmented tech system called CARD would not accept it because the sea was outside usual ambulance range and instead produced an error message. The TAIC chief commissioner David Clarke said while it was unlikely that any of these issues contributed to the outcome of the tragedy in this case, in other circumstances similar delays could be critical. "No action has been taken to address this safety issue," he said. Maritime New Zealand decided against prosecuting any individuals, organisations or businesses after an investigation into the tragedy. Cunninghame did not make any further recommendations in her findings. She said those relating to the emergency response were outside the scope of a coroner's enquiry, because the TAIC investigation concluded that a swifter response would not have resulted in a different outcome because of the short time frame in which the atmosphere under the vessel was survivable.
Sky News
7 days ago
- General
- Sky News
Dementia: Sleep problems could 'double risk' of disease in later life
Problems sleeping could double the risk of developing dementia later in life, according to new research. Scientists have found that a diagnosis of a sleep disorder made people up to twice as likely to develop a neurodegenerative disease, such as dementia, in the following 15 years. The study, carried out by Cardiff University's UK Dementia Research Institute and the NIH Intramural Centre for Alzheimer's and Related Dementia (CARD) in the US, is one of the largest to date. Researchers investigated whether disrupted sleep is an early sign of neurodegeneration or makes someone more likely to develop dementia later. They used data from over one million electronic health records to map out the relationship between the different neurodegenerative diseases and sleep disorders. The risk of dementia was further increased for people recorded as experiencing multiple sleep disorders. The findings also revealed that sleep disorders increased the risk of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, irrespective of genetic risk. Sleep disorders and genetics are likely to be influencing the risk of diagnosis independently of each other, according to the study. Dr Emily Simmonds works as a bioinformatician at the UK Dementia Research Institute. She said scientists "wanted to understand the complicated relationship between sleep and dementia". "People living with dementia often experience sleep problems, but there is not yet enough evidence to say for sure whether poor sleep increases risk of dementia," she said. Dr Simmonds said the team "set out to see if we could figure out what order these things are happening". "By using biobank data, we had timestamped records of when people had sleep disorders, and exactly when they were subsequently diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disease - rather than relying on self-reporting," she added.
09-05-2025
- Health
Asbestos clinic forced to close in Montana town where thousands sickened by dust
BILLINGS, Mont. -- An asbestos screening clinic in a small Montana town where thousands have been sickened by toxic dust from a nearby mine has been abruptly shuttered by authorities following a court order to seize the clinic's assets to pay off a judgment to the railroad BNSF. The Lincoln County Sheriff's Office closed on Wednesday the Center for Asbestos Related Disease in Libby, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) from the U.S.-Canada border. The town of about 3,000 people is near a mine that produced asbestos dust for decades, and the clinic has been at the forefront of efforts to help victims. Courts in Montana have said BNSF contributed to the pollution when it brought contaminated material from the mine through town, and the railway separately faces numerous lawsuits from asbestos victims in Libby and surrounding communities. But the Texas-based railway prevailed in a 2023 lawsuit alleging the clinic fraudulently made some patients eligible for government benefits when it knew they were not sick. The railway challenged the validity of over 2,000 diagnoses by the clinic and 337 were ruled false. The railway brought the lawsuit on behalf of the federal government, which provides specialized Medicare services to Libby's asbestos victims. BNSF was entitled to a share of the $6 million judgment against the clinic, and after adding in attorney fees, court costs and interest, the railway says it's now owed $3.1 million. 'The judge determined the amount of damages to be repaid, and the process for recovery is set by law," BNSF spokesperson Kendall Kirkham Sloan said in a statement. Clinic Executive Director Tracy McNew said the closure would have a broad impact on public health in the Libby area as fewer people are screened for asbestos-related health problems. 'CARD remains committed to its patients and the Libby community and will fight to reopen as soon as possible,' McNew said in a statement. The clinic for more than 20 years has provided health screenings, monitoring and treatment of patients with problems caused by asbestos exposure. It declared bankruptcy after the judgment in the fraud case was handed down. It kept operating and didn't pay the money under a settlement reached in bankruptcy court with the federal government that included BNSF. CARD bankruptcy attorney James 'Andy' Patten said the railway's attempts to collect on the fraud judgment violated the bankruptcy settlement, which was approved by a federal court.
San Francisco Chronicle
09-05-2025
- Health
- San Francisco Chronicle
Asbestos clinic forced to close in Montana town where thousands have been sickened by dust
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — An asbestos screening clinic in a small Montana town where thousands have been sickened by toxic dust from a nearby mine has been abruptly shuttered by authorities following a court order to seize the clinic's assets to pay off a judgment to the railroad BNSF. The Lincoln County Sheriff's Office closed on Wednesday the Center for Asbestos Related Disease in Libby, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) from the U.S.-Canada border. The town of about 3,000 people is near a mine that produced asbestos dust for decades, and the clinic has been at the forefront of efforts to help victims. Courts in Montana have said BNSF contributed to the pollution when it brought contaminated material from the mine through town, and the railway separately faces numerous lawsuits from asbestos victims in Libby and surrounding communities. But the Texas-based railway prevailed in a 2023 lawsuit alleging the clinic fraudulently made some patients eligible for government benefits when it knew they were not sick. The railway challenged the validity of over 2,000 diagnoses by the clinic and 337 were ruled false. The railway brought the lawsuit on behalf of the federal government, which provides specialized Medicare services to Libby's asbestos victims. BNSF was entitled to a share of the $6 million judgment against the clinic, and after adding in attorney fees, court costs and interest, the railway says it's now owed $3.1 million. 'The judge determined the amount of damages to be repaid, and the process for recovery is set by law," BNSF spokesperson Kendall Kirkham Sloan said in a statement. Clinic Executive Director Tracy McNew said the closure would have a broad impact on public health in the Libby area as fewer people are screened for asbestos-related health problems. 'CARD remains committed to its patients and the Libby community and will fight to reopen as soon as possible,' McNew said in a statement. The clinic for more than 20 years has provided health screenings, monitoring and treatment of patients with problems caused by asbestos exposure. It declared bankruptcy after the judgment in the fraud case was handed down. It kept operating and didn't pay the money under a settlement reached in bankruptcy court with the federal government that included BNSF. CARD bankruptcy attorney James 'Andy' Patten said the railway's attempts to collect on the fraud judgment violated the bankruptcy settlement, which was approved by a federal court.
Winnipeg Free Press
09-05-2025
- Health
- Winnipeg Free Press
Asbestos clinic forced to close in Montana town where thousands have been sickened by dust
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — An asbestos screening clinic in a small Montana town where thousands have been sickened by toxic dust from a nearby mine has been abruptly shuttered by authorities following a court order to seize the clinic's assets to pay off a judgment to the railroad BNSF. The Lincoln County Sheriff's Office closed on Wednesday the Center for Asbestos Related Disease in Libby, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) from the U.S.-Canada border. The town of about 3,000 people is near a mine that produced asbestos dust for decades, and the clinic has been at the forefront of efforts to help victims. Courts in Montana have said BNSF contributed to the pollution when it brought contaminated material from the mine through town, and the railway separately faces numerous lawsuits from asbestos victims in Libby and surrounding communities. But the Texas-based railway prevailed in a 2023 lawsuit alleging the clinic fraudulently made some patients eligible for government benefits when it knew they were not sick. The railway challenged the validity of over 2,000 diagnoses by the clinic and 337 were ruled false. The railway brought the lawsuit on behalf of the federal government, which provides specialized Medicare services to Libby's asbestos victims. BNSF was entitled to a share of the $6 million judgment against the clinic, and after adding in attorney fees, court costs and interest, the railway says it's now owed $3.1 million. 'The judge determined the amount of damages to be repaid, and the process for recovery is set by law,' BNSF spokesperson Kendall Kirkham Sloan said in a statement. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Clinic Executive Director Tracy McNew said the closure would have a broad impact on public health in the Libby area as fewer people are screened for asbestos-related health problems. 'CARD remains committed to its patients and the Libby community and will fight to reopen as soon as possible,' McNew said in a statement. The clinic for more than 20 years has provided health screenings, monitoring and treatment of patients with problems caused by asbestos exposure. It declared bankruptcy after the judgment in the fraud case was handed down. It kept operating and didn't pay the money under a settlement reached in bankruptcy court with the federal government that included BNSF. CARD bankruptcy attorney James 'Andy' Patten said the railway's attempts to collect on the fraud judgment violated the bankruptcy settlement, which was approved by a federal court. Sloan declined to comment on the bankruptcy settlement.
