LAUNCH TRAGEDY

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 106, 1 November 1939, Page 12

LAUNCH TRAGEDY

SINKING OF DOLPHIN

INQUEST RESUMED

SURVIVOR'S STORY

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

CHRISTCHURCH, This Day,

An inquest concerning the death of F. J. Brasell, owner and master of the trawler Dolphin, was resumed at Lyttelton before the Coroner, Mr. F. F. Reid. Brasell met his death on October 12 when the Dolphin was shot at from a port battery and sunk. He received injuries which prevented him saving himself and he went down in the trawler. His companion, W. H. Willman, was rescued. Captain James Plowman, Harbour Master at Lyttelton, giving evidence, j said that he was' chief examination officer. Two advertisements had been inserted in Christchurch newspapers giving instructions to fishing craft to stop if the examination vessel was not j at its station. The man in charge ofj a small boat .should await its arrival, j Instructions had been received that the vessel was to come into port each day. No provision had been made for relief when she was off the station. Brasell had called at his office and he ■ had been told what was required and was fully aware of the procedure. Mr. C. S. Thomas, for Mrs. Brasell: ! Knowing your allegation . that some fishermen approached you before the accident for instructions.. Mr. Martin,; of the Seamen's Union, called a meeting of all fishermen in port and the men present said that they had not asked you for such instructions before the accident. . The witness replied that he remem-j bered some fishermen approaching him. ' Giving evidence, William Henry Willman said that the Dolphin was returning to Lyttelton about 1.45 p.m. "As we proceeded down the harbour," said the witness, "we were on the look-out for the patrol boat. We could not see anything of the vessel, and we decided to steam towards Battery Point for the purpose of calling out to those in charge at the battery and give our identity as well as to inquire if it would be all right for us to proceed into Lyttelton. We'were not flying ans r signals as the examination vessel was not present, and we did not know what signals we were required to fly. At that time I could clearly see the men at the guns at Battery Point. I could also see that some of the men were waving flags, and I took it to mean jthat they may have been calling on us to stop. j "THEY HAVE SHOT ME." | "We had been steaming at an angle towards Battery Point for a distance of about two miles before there was !an explosion on board. When the explosion occurred we would then be approximately 75 yards off the Point. Immediately following the explosion, Brasell spun round and said: 'They have shot me.' He then drew my attention to the fact that the port side had been j shot away amidships. I saw Brasell'si left leg bleeding profusely. Brasell j drew my attention to the fact that the launch was sinking fast. He asked me to take my sea boots off, and added, 'We are done. She's sinking by the bow.' Brasell then fainted. The launch sank and I had to grab the mast. The last I saw of Brasell was as he was being washed into the engine room. I came up amongst the wreckage, and then saw a buoy to which I clung until ■ rescued by members of the examination vessel about half an hour later." During the last war, if the examination boat was not present, they approached the fort, Willman told Mr. Thomas. Brasell was very nervous of being shot at, but had not said anything of asking Captain Plowman for instructions. "