DEATH AT SEA

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31560, 23 December 1967, Page 28

DEATH AT SEA

Man Missing From Liner (N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, Dec. 22. An inquest was held today on a young man who was last seen aboard the Angelina Lauro en route to Wellington from Sydney in January, 1966. Subsequent police inquiries and newspaper publicity in both countries had not succeeded in locating him. The Coroner (Mr J. Metzer) found that Jeffrey Ralph Roydhouse, aged 24, of Dunedin, died between 9 p.m. on January 6, 1966 and 8 a.m. on January 7, while at sea, having disappeared from the Angelina Lauro. As no body had been recovered, the inquest was held by the special authority of the Attorney-General. The missing man’s mother, Mr F. M. Roydhouse, said her son had been overseas for nearly three years, and had arrived at Sydney in December, 1966. TELEPHONE CALL

The last the family had heard from him was when he telephoned from there on December 29. He was expected to return to start university. An Australian girl got in touch with the family in January and said she had been on the ship with Roydhouse. When he had not turned up in March, the family approached the police. Mrs Roydhouse described her son as cheerful and thrifty. He had saved about $2OOO, and had sent half back to New Zealand for his future. He had asked that his driving licence be renewed. SEA WAS ROUGH

Detective Senior Sergeant J. L. Cagney said Roydhuse had last been seen when the ship was about 100 miles from New Zealand waters. The sea had been rough, but there had been no severe rolling.

“There is no evidence to suggest how he was lost except some evidence that he was intoxicated on the night. There is nothing to suggest foul play or that Roydhouse had suicidal tendencies,” he said.