DROWNED AT SEA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19991, 6 July 1928, Page 10

DROWNED AT SEA.

TRIMMER JUMPS OVERBOARD. FRUITLESS SEARCH MADE. SHARK-INFESTED WATERS. A tragic incident marred the otherwise uneventful voyage of tho Shaw, Savill Company's Arawa, which arrived at Auckland from Southampton yesterday. At four o'clock on tho morning of June 8, two days before the vessel arrived at Colon, a trimmer, Denis Cain, aged 21, jumped overboard from the main deck into the ' shark infested waters of the Caribbean Sea, and was never seen again. The weather was fine and (here was a slight swell at tho time. Tho orderly serenity of the ship was suddenly disturbed by tho shrill cry of " man overboard " from the look-out man, who happened to see Cain strike the water. In less than a minute the deserted decks were the scene of scurrying, excited, figures. Mingled among officers and members of the crew, who were issuing and carrying out orders, were a number of passengers who had been awakened by the noise. The bells communicating between the bridge and the engine room rang furiously, and in less than five minutes one of the lifeboats was launched. The Arawa quickly came to a standstill, and a thorough search was commenced.

In addition to the efforts of the lifeboat's crew, who thoroughly combed the area where Cain fell for over two hours, lifeboats illuminated with flare 3 were thrown overboard. With the approach of dawn, Commander W. G. Summers decided that further search would be useless, and tho An.wa proceeded on her voyage. Even if Gain had been a strong swimmer, it is considered that he would have had little chance with the hungry sharks which swim round all ships in their hundreds when passing through the Caribbean Sea.

Cain was making his first sea voyage, arid signed on th? Arawa as a trimmer just before the vessel left Southampton. He worked during tho day and was off duty at night. Little was known of him by his colleagues. He was described as a serious minded young man who appeared to enjoy his own company best. Although he signed on as a. trimmer, he was delegated to the duties of " fireman's peggy." It is thought that his parents live in London.