Man Drowns in Cat's Water Bowl, August 16, 2001 10:29 am EST

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Reuters) - A New Zealand man has died after slipping on ice and drowning in his cat's water bowl, local media said Thursday.

Peter John Robinson, who was 28, was found by his mother lying face down in the dish in the South Island town of Reefton last month, the New Zealand Herald reported.

Gill Robinson said she believed her son had gone to feed his cat, Piper, and hit his head after slipping on ice. The inch-and-a-half of water in the bowl was enough to cover his mouth and was taken into his lungs.

A coroner found that Robinson, who had had balance problems since being born without one ear, had drowned following a significant head injury, the Herald said.

-- Anonymous, August 18, 2001