SENSATIONAL AFFAIR.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 2, 2 January 1903, Page 8

SENSATIONAL AFFAIR.

A MAN. FALLS WER A CUFF.

ATTEMPT TO RECOVER THE BODY.

TWO OTHER MEN DROWNED.

NARROW ESCAPE OF A THIRD.

A sensational affair occurred a,t Watson's Bay, Sydney, on the 26th ult., two men named Harry fciherwood (26) and David Pert (26), belonging to the crew of the pilot steamer Captain Cook, being drowned in an attempt to recover the dead body of a man named Richard Walsh, who had fallen over the cliffs. Harold Foreshore, a single man, residing in Windmill-street, Miller's Point, and Joseph Inglesby, a married man, residing at Balmain, had narrow escapes. The circumstances are of a painful character. Sherwood and Walsh were both married men, the former leaving a wife and one child residing at Watson's Bay, and the latter a wife residing in Forbes-street, Woolloomooloo. Pert was a single man and lived at Watson's Bay. It appears that W T alsh was employed as a seaman on the lightship near South Head, and taking advantage of a few hours' rest, was strolling along the cliffs with • a companion named John Norton, about 200 yards to the south of the lighthouse, when he over-balanced, and fell headlong to the rocks below, a distance of about 250 ft., his body being fearfully mangled. Norton immediately gave the alarm, and shortly afterwards the Captain Cook put out to recover the body. Tlie spot was reached, and the vessel having been taken as close in as was considered safe, a, boat was lowered to complete the journey, the occupants being Joseph Inglesby, Harry Sherwood, David Pert, and Harry Foreshore. There was a good breeze blowing from the north-east, and the boat was soon in a perilous position. By this time, however, the Captain Cook had left the scene, having gone to put a pilot on board the incoming American transport Glacier, and when she returned there was nothing to be seen but the boat floating bottom upwards. It was feared that all the men had been drowned, but this turned out not to be the case.

The boat eventually reached the roeka, and Inglesby jumped ashore, with a line in his hand. He went to the spot where the body of Walsh was lying, and having fastened one end of the rope round it, turned to throw the other end of the line to hid companions, when he saw the boat was on .her beam ends, making straight for the rocks on a huge sea. Almost immediately she crashed and cap sized, the occupants being precipitated into the water. A great struggle for life was witnessed, the heavy rollers tossing the men about like corks. Pert was several times dashed violently against the cliffs, and was once almost within the grasp of Inglesby, but was washed out again, and was soon lifeless. Sherwood was wedged between two great rocks, and drowned without being able to make any attempt to save himself.

Foreshore was also considerably knocked about, but one of. the rollers carried him within Inglesby's reach, and he was hauled to a place of safety. Both then commenced to crawl along the rocks towards Rosey Gully, and , eventually reached the top ~of. the cliffß. "by-Mr idfohn jMitefreU;- esp* tain pi- the launch darringtan, a<nd Fore-: shore being in an exhausted condition, was removed to his home. Dr. Pierce, the port medical officer, was summoned, and under his treatment Foreshore aoon rallied. He was, however, found to be considerably bruised about the body, and as soon as he had recovered sufficiently to be removed he was taken by an ambulance to the Sydney Hospital. The news of the disaster quickly spread throughout the neighbourhood, and a lifeboat immediately put out to look for the bodies, Inglesby, who had recovered from the experience, making one of the crew, A search-was made, but no trace of the bodies could be seen, and darkness Coming on, the boat was compelled to return to the. bay. The overturned boat was subsequently recovered. The search will be resumed in the morning. After he had recovered somewhat, a representative of "The Daily Telegraph" had a conversation with Foreshore, the survivor of those in the boat at the time of the capsize. "When we were within a ship's length oi the rocks," he said, "We were overtaken by heavy rollers, one of which took away the oara. After a tough struggle we regained possession of them, but were almost immediately struck by another series of rollers, heavier than the first, and the boat was thrown right back on her stern post. She then went over on one side, and we were all thrown into the water and covered by the boat. I managed to get from underneath, and found myseif about 120 feet from the rocks. Just then another big Toller came along and carried me towards the cliffs, when Ingleeby, who was in waitings pulled me to a place of safety. We crawled along the rocks, and ultimately reached the top of the cliffs." ...