AN ICY PLUNGE.

Shannon News, 1 July 1924, Page 4

AN ICY PLUNGE.

MAN IN LYTTLETON HARBOUR. WHILE PERRY STEAMER ' BERTHS. While the ferry steamer Mararoa was being berthed on Friday morning at Lyttelton, a man on the wharf had an unexpected*’ plunge into the icy harbour waters. There was a cry of "man ‘ overboard!” and the passengers (rushed to the rails to see the man .struggling in the water. John Donaldson, one of the f men assisting at the berthing of the vessel, was running along with the stern lines in his hands, wheff'he bumped.against' the postal van drawn close up to the edge of the wharf, and fell into the harbour. An overcoat which'he w r as wearing hampered him in swimming, but, -with the assistance of a lifebuoy, he enabled to keep himself afloat) until the iarrival of a dinghy. Meanwhile Captain T. B. Sewell kept the vessel out from the wharf. Apart from the effect of his unexpected plunge, Donaldson w-as not injured. It is the general opinion that the practice of drawing the postal van so close to the stern of the ferry steamers should be discontinued as the men have insufficient room for handling the mooring lines.