BRAVEST DEED

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 203, 20 April 1932, Page 7

BRAVEST DEED

SHIP'S COOK EARNS AWARD FOR LAST YEAR. ATTEMPT TO SAVE SHIPMATE At the 158th annual general meet ing of the Royal Humane Society recently the Stanhope Gold Medal for the bravest deed of the year was awarded to Mr. George Jenkins, a ship's cook, of Walton, Liverpool. During the passage of the London Missionary Society auxiliary schooner John William V from the Clyde to Colon, one of the crew, Alexander Samuel, was washed overboard from the jibboom while furling sail in midAtlantic. There was a heavy sea running at the time, and a strong southwest wind was blowing. A lifeboat was launched with diffieulty and at considerabl-e risk, but before it reached the water George Jenkins had already jumped overboard and struck out towards his shipmate with a lifebelt. Unfortunately, however, although he spent nearly an hour in the raging - sea before -being picked up by the lifeboat, Jenkins was unable to reach the drowning man before the latter sank. It may be added that Jenkins was by no means an expert swimmer , and that the lifeboat was smashed while being taken inboard. Swinging against the ship's side it became un- * hooked, filled with water, and had to be abandoned.