LOST OVERBOARD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18075, 27 April 1922, Page 6

LOST OVERBOARD.

DEATH OF A FISHERMAN. STATEMENT BY WIFE. [by telegraph.—PßESS ASSOCIATION.] DCNEDIN. Wednesday An inquiry was held this morning into the death of John McMillan, a married man, aged 44 years, who was lost overboard from a fishing launch on January 18. and whose body was. never recovered. In evidence, Robert Thomas Medex, fisherman, in whose launch tho deceased worked, stated that when about four miles from the Otago heads, the deceased was steering, witness being in the enginehouse. There was a rough, choppy sea. Something caused witness to look round, and he heard the deceased fall into the sea. Witness related how he tried to recover the deceased without success. Witness stated that he and the deceased were on the best of terms. The lifebuoys were kept under cover to preserve them. Sergeant McMahou read a statement by the deceased's wife, who was in too nervous a condition to attend. In this statement the wife said she distrusted Medex, for the reason that once she heard him, when speaking of another man, say if he got him out in the boat he would come back alone. The statement admitted that Medex and the deceased seemed to 1* good friends. The coroner said it was unfortunate the woman had made such a statement. He recalled Medex, who called the statement "tommy rot." He had tnows the deceased since boyhood, and gave him a place in the boat because he was out of work.

The' coroner, in finding accidental drowning, said he could see nothing to justify tbe extravagant suspicions in the wife's statement, which appeared to be that of a highly-strung nervous woman. The accident could readily happen in a rough sea where there was a relaxation of care.