CTV inquest: First fire crew arrived by chance

The first fire crew to arrive at the collapsed CTV building came by it by chance.

Station Officer for Addington fire department Alan Butcher is giving evidence at the inquest.

He says while they had not been assigned to a location due to the pressure on the communications system, they decided from what they were hearing that they needed to head towards the CBD.

He says it was by chance that they came across the CTV building.

"We were not directed to attend the CTV building, but as we drove past the site it was evident that a major collapse had occurred so I made the decision to stay there. We were the first appliance to arrive at the site."

The final time contact was made with a person trapped inside the CTV building had been heard at the Coroner's inquest.

Constable Stuart Martindale made contact with Dr Tamara Cvetanova on several occasions on the night of the earthquake.

He then worked with her husband Alec to try to pinpoint her location.

But after the final conversation between Mr Cvetonov and his wife, he believed she may have turned her phone off to try and save the battery.

Constable Martindale tried to get her back on the phone to no success.

"It was obvious to me that she had either turned the phone off or the battery had died. We carried on for what seemed like a long time to search through the rubble. It was not long after this that my staff and I were stood down. I've since been made aware that the remains of Dr Cvetanova were not located until the 24th of February."

Under cross-examination at the inquest from Mr Cvetanov's lawyer Nigel Hampton QC, Constable Martindale admitted the rescue attempts were at times chaotic.

"It was quite haphazard wasn't it?"

"In hindsight that's probably an appropriate word. For me at the time ... I was hopeful that it was going to be successful," Constable Stuart Martindale replied.

Detective Grant Collins was involved in the cell phone analysis of people killed in the building.

He's told a Coroner's hearing several messages which were sent from Kings College student Rika Hyuga's cell phone in the hours after the building collapsed.

They indicate that up to five other students were near her.

Council assisting the Coroner Richard Raymond told Detective Collins there's evidence that another student Dr Tamara Cvetanova, who rang 111 later in the evening, was with those students.

"The last call at 4.27 on the 22nd of February isn't definitive as to survivability of those five. There is some evidence, if one is to accept that Dr Cvetanova was talking with, or in contact or able to see the other five that they were still alive later on in the evening."

To which he replied "yes I agree with that".

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