PASSENGER ON FERRY STEAMER SEEN TO JUMP OVERBOARD

Wanganui Chronicle, 27 January 1948, Page 6

PASSENGER ON FERRY STEAMER SEEN TO JUMP OVERBOARD

Christchurch, Jan. 24. A few minutes after he had spoken to a steward, a passenger on the inter-island steamer express Hinemoa, bound for Lyttelton last evening, climbed oyer the ship’s rail and disappeared. The incident happened at about 10.24 p.m., and although the Hinemoa put about immediately and circled the position for about an hour, no trace of the passenger was found and the ship continued its journey to Lyttelton, arriving at 6.50 a.m. The passenger is believed to be A. Crawshaw. He entered under this name in the ship’s passenger list, but his baggage is labelled “N. L. Crawshaw.” He was aged about 30 years. The steward, S. E. Burt, said this morning that ht was talking to Crawshaw beside the alter hatch last evening and then turned/ to talk to another passenger. While he was in conversation with the other passenger, he noticed Crawshaw already over the ship’s rail. Crawshaw shouted, “so long chum.” Crawshaw seemed normal after his conversation, said Burt. Although only a few feet separated him from Crawshaw when he noticed that he had climbed over the rail, he was unable to grasp him in time. Burt said he immediately notified the officer in charge on the bridge. The third officer, who was on watch at the time, put the ship about and at the same time a lighted buoy was dropped overboard and the accident boat lowered to the ship’s rail in case Crawshaw should be sighted. No trace of him was found. The Superintendent of Police (Mr. H. Scott) said that personal effects found in Crawshaw’s baggage indicated that he lived recently at 85 Kauri Street, Miramar, and he had been at Wataroa, on the West Coast in November last.

This is the second disappearance from the steamer express this monthEarlier, Ngaire Franklin Jackson, a retired insurance inspector, of Tancred Street, Linwood, was reported missing.