Inquiries Reopened On Seaman’s Death

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31780, 10 September 1968, Page 1

Inquiries Reopened On Seaman’s Death

Allegations that a Danish seaman, Kurt Midtgaard, who was found drowned in Lyttelton Harbour, was involved in a fight and thrown overboard, have caused Christchurch detectives to reopen inquiries into his death.

Mr Midtgaard was reported missing from his ship on September 16 last year and his body was found 21 days later.

The allegations were contained in an anonymous letter posted overseas and received by the New Zealand Police last week. Aged 23, Mr Midtgaard was an apprentice engineer officer in the motor vessel Birgitte Skou (5733 tons), which returned to Lyttelton at 7 a.m. on Sunday for the first time since Mr Midtgaard’s death. The Chief Detective in Christchurch (Mr E. T. Mitten) and a big squad of detectives boarded the ship to question the Danish officers and crew of West Indians.

The acting-head of the Christchurch C. 1.8., DetectiveInspector M. T. Churches, also visited the ship. The police jsuspect that the letter was written by a person who was a member of the crew when the ship was at Lyttelton last year but who subsequently joined another ship. Detective Inspector Churches said last evening that inquiries into the allegations would be made in New Zealand and overseas and it would be weeks before they were completed.

“Our investigations since receipt of the letter have disclosed no facts not known to us when we made inquiries into Mr Midtgaard’s death last year. “We knew that there had been an argument aboard the Birgitte Skou the last time he was seen alive. It was not a serious argument and we have no evidence so far of any fight.” Mr Midtgaard was seen to be drinking at Lyttelton on September 15, according to evidence given at the inquest into his death held before the Christchurch Coroner (Mr A. T. Bell) on December 6. PARTY HELD ’A party had been held aboard the ship that evening and Mr Midtgaard was seen in an intoxicated state. His bed had not been slept in that night and he did not report the next day when the ship sailed from Lyttelton. On September 28 a warrant had been issued for his arrest on a complaint that he was absent from the ship without leave. On October 7 the partly decomposed body of Mr Midtgaard was found by a boy in the Lyttelton Harbour. Christchurch detectives then interviewed members of the crew while the ship was berthed at Dunedin. At the inquest, Constable K. T. Boyle, of Lyttelton, said it was presumed that Mr Midtgaard had fallen overboard while in a state of intoxication. The Coroner found that death was due to drowning. Detective Inspector Churches said yesterday that the captain of the Birgitte Skou at the time of Mr Midtgaard’s death and several crew members had since left the ship. The allegations made in the letter meant that all the members of the crew when the ship was at Lyttelton last year had to be interviewed again.