TRAWLING ACCIDENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19626, 3 May 1927, Page 10

TRAWLING ACCIDENT.

I ALLEGATIONS BY CREW. ; LAUNCHING OF THE LIFEBOAT. THE QUESTION OF SURVEY. I —— A signed statement by several members of the crew of the trawler Countess alleges the fouling of some gear delayed the launching of a lifeboat on Friday afternoon, when Mr. T. S. Veale, a fireman, fell overboard and was drowned. The men declare, that when the deckhands were called upon to lower a boat in an endeavour to pick up Mr. Veale, considerable difficulty was experienced owing to the fact that the boat fouled first the seine net reel and then the freshwater tank. They state the boat covers, too, were in some cases nailed down and could not be removed without the use of a hammer. Mr. P. O'Shea, assistant secretary of the Seamen's Union, said the incident was another powerful argument for the inclusion of trawlers in the Shipping and Seamen Act, under which steamers were subjected to a rigid survey of live-saving apparatus. " Had the Countess been under the Act the vessel would never have been allowed to put to sea with her gear in such condition," Mr. O'Shea said. Especially rigid did the Act make the regular survey affecting life-saving apparatus and fines were imposed where vessels were found putting to sea with defective appliances. It appeared, though, that trawlers were exempt. "Any Chance of Rescue Lost." It was by no means uncommon to find absolutely inexperienced and unqualified seamen on a trawler, although that was not suggested in respect of Friday's accident. Such a state of affairs was not permitted on coastal steamers of dimensions similar to the trawlers. Tho Kawau, Gael and Mako came within the provisions of the Act and were safeguarded by it. It was not suggested that a more expeditious launching would have saved the life of the fireman, who disappeared quickly, but tho delay which occurred meant that any chance of rescue he might have possessed was lost. Mr. O'Shea said he understood certain alterations had since been effected on the Countess to avoid the risk of another fouling of the lifeboat gear. Regular Inspection Made. Mr. R. E. Smallbone, superintendent engineer of Sanford, Ltd., owners of the Countess, said the trawler, although not under the Act, was regularly inspected by the port deck surveyor. Only six months age the vessel was re-certificated after a test which involved the launching of the lifeboat, when no difficulty was experienced. He had no personal knowledge of the fouling of the boat on Friday afternoon and could only state that the seine-hauler and water tank had not been moved since the last inspection. Although lacking information in regard to the nailing of the boat-covers, he could state with confidence that it was not customary in Sanford's fleet to have them so fastened. Mr. Smallbone was definite on the point that all the seamen employed in the firm's fleet were fully-qualified men.