LOST OVERBOARD AT MIDNIGHT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 169, 20 July 1939, Page 3

LOST OVERBOARD AT MIDNIGHT

GALLANT EFFORTS TO SAVE SKIPPER’S LIFE DRAMATIC STORY TOLD AT INQUEST i Per Prsts Association.J AUCKLAND, July 18. A dramatic story of frantic effoib made by three young members of the crew of a fishing vessel to save the life of their skipper who had fallen overboard in the Rangitoto channel, at midnight, on June 27, was told when the city coroner, Mr. Hunt, completed the inquest into the death of Captain John Grubb Munro, master ot th? seine boat, Dorothy M, who was drowned on June 27. Deceased was a widower aged 62. Francis Kunkel, single, aged 22, mate on the vessel, said that they were proceeding down Rang, to to Channel when the captain, who was at the wheel with witness, said that he was going down to get a cup of tea and then turn in. ’rhe captain then w•nt out of the door of the wheel house on lo the lop of the engine room and then on to the deck and stepped forward. “1 said ‘Hold on to the ’.ail, Johnnie,' as the sea was slightly choppy, and 1 knew he had had a couple of drinks,’’ added the witness. “He was 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, but. he took hold of the rail with both hands and then all of a sudden he let go of the rail and fell over the bulwark into Ihe sea. “I immediately swung the boat round hard to starboard and while the boat was coming round 1 caiig through on the telegraph for the engineer to .stand by,” added the witness. “I called out to the fourth hand and he came up on the deck. 1 to id him to stand on the forecastle and keep a lookout, for the skipper who had gon? overboard. He called out [that h? could see something, and i Isw ung th** boat oyer towards where | he was pointing.” I Witness added that the fouilii liaiid I lost sight of the object as the boa! swung round and then he spotted the [body again. Witness also saw it and [then pul (he engines hard astern ano stopped the boat. Engineer Dives In , 'Fir' engineer then tame up on deck | land dived in and seized th? body. He w’as unable to get him toward the boat as the tide was against h«n. The | [fourth hand then threw a life bell, to | | him and witness threw a seine rope. | The engineer caught hold of both the ! belt ano the rope, added the witness. “Wc pulled them into the boat anu ; lilted them up on deck. As soon as Iwe got the captain on deck I. swung [the boat round for Devonport and the | engineer went beluw to put the eni gines full ahead. The engineer then I took over the wheel and 1 applied I artificial respiration lo the captain, i Ido not know if that did him any good las no water came out of his mouth |and there was no sign of breathing. 1 'kept on with respiration until w? reached Devonport,” witness continued. “As soon as we touched the wharf, the fourth hand jumped off the boat and went for the police and a doctor. A doctor arrived about iiv” minutes later. A constable had arrived before and was continuing with i respiration. The doctor and 1 also | took turns al respiration but he showled no signs of reviving. From the [time the captain wont overboard nnItil we got. him on board it was about [seven minutes and we arrived bacx ■at Devonport about 10 or 15 minutes [later. From the way he went ovei- | board it appeared as if the captain I col lapsed, but it may have been the | choppy sea that caused him to lose I hold of the rail. He had had influenza about four weeks before and I believe I he was confined to bed with it." : The engineer, Alexander Jenkins, married, aged 22, said that the skipper was 10 or 15 yards away from the j boat when he dived in after him. HI was not moving and witness thought |he would sink. When he reached him Ihe was floating and his feet and head I were down in the water and only a portion of his back was above the ; water. I “I seized hold of him and tried to •swim back with him to the boat,” [ added witness. “I could not make I headway as the current, was 100 [ strong. The cook. Johnson, then [threw a life belt and the mate threw [a line. I seized these and they pulled the captain on board." Bravery Cnnmended The coroner said I hat the engineer, Jenkins, was to be commended lor his bravery in diving into a choppy sea in the dark of night. It was a courageous act reflecting great credit on Jenkins. In fact, he added, the throe young men were to be commended for their presence of mind. They had acted promptly and their manning of tiw boat after the captain was lost was most praiseworthy. Mr. Hunt then returned a verdict that deceased died in Rangitoto Channel, and that the cause of death was accidental drowning.