SKIPPER DROWNED

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 16, 19 July 1939, Page 17

SKIPPER DROWNED

FINE RESCUE EFFORT

CHOPPY SEA AT NIGHT

YOUNG MAN DIVES FOR BODY

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

AUCKLAND, July 18

, A dramatic story of efforts made by three young members of the crew- of a fishing vessel to save the life of their skipper, who fell overboard in Rangitoto Channel at midnight on June 27, was told when the City Coroner, Mr. F. K. Hunt, completed an inquest into the death of Captain John Grubb Munro, master of the seine boat Dorothy M. who was drowned on June 27.

Captain Munro was a widower, aged 62.

Francis Kunkel, single, aged 22, mate on the vessel, said they were proceeding down Rangitoto Channel. Captain Munro, who was at the wheel with witness, said he was going down to get a cup of tea and then turn iri. He went out of the wheelhouse on to the top of the engine room, then to the deck and stepped forward.

| "I said, 'Hold on the rail, Johnnie,' !as the sea was slightly choppy, and 1 | knew he had had a couplt of drinks," ! said the witness. "He wai- a man who drank quite a bit, and the drink he had had would not affect him much. He was not unsteady on his feet. He took hold of the rail with both hands, and I then, all of a sudden, let go and fell into the sea. "I immediately swung the boat round | hard to starboard, and, while it was coming round, I rang through for the engineer to stand by. "I called out to the fourth hand and he came up on deck. I told him to stand on the forecastle and keep a lookout, for the skipper had gone overboard. He called out that he could see something, and I swung the boat over towards where he was pointing." ENGINEER PLUNGES IN. Witness added that the fourth hand lost sight of the object as the boat swung round and then he spotted the body again. Witness also saw it, and put the engines hard astern and stopped the boat. The engineer came up on deck, dived in, and seized the body. He was unable to get it towards the boat, as the tide was against him. The fourth hand then threw a lifebelt to him, and witness threw a seine rope. "The engineer caught hold of both the belt and the rope," added the witness. "We pulled them into the boat and lifted them up on deck. As soon as we got Captain Munro on deck I swung the boat round for Devonport 'and the engineer went below to put j the engines full ahead. The engineer (then took over the wheel, and I applied artificial respiration to Captain; Munro. Ido not know if that did ! him. any gdod, as no water came out of his mouth, and there was no sign of breathing. : ■..".'.

"I kept on with respiration till we reached Devonport," the witness continued. "As soon as we. touched the wharf the fourth, hand jumped off_ : the boat and went for the ■ police arid., a doctor. The doctor arrived about five minutejs later. A constable had arrived before, and was. continuing with the respiration. The doctor and I also took turns at respiration, but Captain Munro showed no signs of reviving. From the time the captain went overboard till we got him on board was about seven minutes, and we arrived

back at Devonport about ten orffi r teen minutes later.

"From the' way he went overboard, it. appeared as if Captain Munro collapsed, but it may have been the choppy sea that caused him to lose hold of the rail. He had had influenza about four weeks before, and I believe he was confined to bed with it. :>

The engineer, Alexander Jenkins, married, aged 22, said the skipper was ten or. fifteen yards away from the boat when he dived in after him. He was not moving, and witness thought he would sink. When he reached him he was floating and his feet and head were down in the water, and only portion of his back was above the water.

"I seized hold of him and tried to swim back with him to the boat," added the witness. "I could not make headway as the ■■current was too strong. The cook, Johnson, then threw a lifebelt and the mate threw a line. I seized these, arid they pulled the captain on board."

CORONER'S COMPLIMENT

The Coroner said the engineer, Mr. Jenkins, was to be commended for his bravery in diving into the choppy sea in the dark of night. It was a courageous act, reflecting great credit on Mr. Jenkins. In fact, he added, the three young men were to be commended for their presence of mind. They had acted promptly, and their manning of the boat after Captain Munro was lost was most praiseworthy.

Mr. Hunt then returned a verdict that Captain Munro died in Rangitoto Channel, and that the cause of death was accidental drowning.