Officer ’acted strangely’

Press, 5 November 1979, Page 4

Officer ’acted strangely’

found on the floor of his PA Invercargill An open verdict has been returned by the Invercargill Coroner (Mr G. S. Noble) at an inquest into the death in March of the second officer of the aluminium carrier Bulknes, John Walter Robertson. Mr Robertson died be tween 2 am. and 7.45 a m on March 8 this year, when he presumably fell overboard from the Bulknes in the Tasman sea the coroner found

in summing up. the coroner said he could not go so far as to say that Mr Robertson had taken his own life. Evidence was given that Mr Robertson had been acting strangely on the days before his disappearance. It had been decided to change his shift so that there could be people around him as he worked. Mr Robertson had not responded to calls on the morning of March 8. His uniform and clothes were

cabin, and the porthole was open.

Bare footprints which led from the porthole to the rail were later found A full-scale search of the ship was made and the Bulknes turned back to the position she was at when Mr Robertson had last been seen.

Mr Robertson had talked with the chief cook earlv that morning He seemed strange and unusual in his behaviour, and it was possible that he had been drinking. The cook had talked with him for about 15 minutes.

Mr Robertson's widow gave evidence that there was no apparent leason tor him to take his own life. He had been a loving husband and step-fathei A lawyer who appealed for the family submitted that although there was no doubt that Mr Robertson had been acting out of character, this could not be extended to imply that he had taken his own life. In his confused state, it was more likely that he would have acted in a way which led him to fall overboard.