MAN OVERBOARD

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 248, 25 February 1911, Page 5

MAN OVERBOARD

EXCITING INCIDENT AT WESTPORT. Wellington, Thursday. On the arrival of the Araliura at Wellington last night from the West Coast, the olliccrs reported an exciting incident which ocurred nt Westport on the previous day. As the vessel was about, to swing out from the Westport wharf at 2.10 p.m., bound for Nelson, a man named Robert (libbs, who was under police escort, leaped overboard from the stern of the vessel. A rope was thrown to the man. but he refused to catch hold of it. Captain Lambert was informed, and the steamer's engines were stopped. A wharf laborer dived oil' the wharf to the rescue of the drowning man, and Mr. A. E. Davies, second officer of the Araliura, fully dressed, went over the side a few moments later. It was with great difficulty that the rescuers could keep him from holding his face under water, as he appeared to be endeavoring to drown himself, A boat was lowered, and the three men were quickly picked up and taken to the landing stage, (iibbs was almost in a state of collapse when lifted ashore, so he was transferred to the Westport Hospital for treatment. It nnpenrs that (libbs was under arrest for disobeying an order of the court for the maintenance of his wife. He was arrested at (Ireymontb, and was being taken to Auckland by Sergeant Egan.