SELF-PRESERVATION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 17, 14 July 1911, Page 5

SELF-PRESERVATION.

GREEK SAILORS AND A DROWNING MAN. By Telegraph—Press' Association. Wellington, Thursday. An inquest was held, to-day concerning the death by drowning of Robert Humphries, who arrived by the Corlntkle on Tuesday from London, and was seen struggling in the water near the wharves the same night by two Greek sailors, who acsist«d a seaman on th* ferry steamer to launch a boat. They got the man out of the water, but were too late, their efforts to restore animation being futile. During the inquiry one of the Greeks was asked if he did not think of jumping in to the fescue. He replied that he could swim, but the drowning man might have pulled him down. He did not look for a life-saving .apparatus. The coroner returned a verdict thai death was due to drowning, but there was no evidence to show how deceased. got into the water, lie could not say any blame was attachable to the Greek sailors for not jumping in to rescue the drowning man. It was entirely a matter for a man's own judgment, selfpreservntion being the first law. Deceased was a married man, 33 years of age, and his wife and mother are due to arrive from England by the Arawa next month.