The following account is from the Gibraltar Chronicle, February 16th 1865: GALLANT RESCUE OF A DROWNING MAN:
An inquest was held yesterday afternoon on board her Majesty's ship, Liffey, now coaling alongside the New Mole, upon the bodies of Richard Barnwell and Cornelius Taylor, two privates of the Royal Marine Corps belonging to that ship. It appeared from the evidence that Dockyard Constable Gee on Tuesday night, about a quarter past nine (the night being very dark, wet and somewhat gusty), heard a cry of "Man overboard" proceeding from the water and on going to the spot with his lantern saw one man standing on the ring which is fixed in the sea wall supporting another in the water. Gee gave help and a petty officer from the Liffey and a boat from the merchant vessel Nepaul came to their assistance and the man was saved. About 10 o'clock Gee heard again the cry of "Man overboard" and about the same moment, Lieutenant Dundas of the 2nd Battalion, 15th Regiment, returning from visiting the guard at the New Mole heard voices. He was in advance of the constable, whose lantern just sufficed to throw a light upon the water and show to Lieutenant Dundas three men in the water, about 15 yards from the sea wall, two of whom were swimming, one towards the shore another going out and a third man between them sinking. He unhesitatingly threw of his sword, jumped in and swam towards the drowning man, whom he seized by his shell jacket and drew him towards the shore in a passive state, when, with the assistance of the Nepaul's boat and men on the Mole, this man was saved as well as the man who was swimming in. The body of the other, the deceased Barnwell was not discovered till about half past seven the next morning, and while searching for it, the body of the deceased Taylor was brought up first, who, from the evidence of a private of the Marines named Williams, must have fallen into the water at the time he was standing on the ring, and in the confusion of the moment been overlooked It further appeared that the deceased as well as some 14 or 15 more men belonging to the Liffey, having been on shore since half past five in the afternoon, were returning to their ship more or less in a state of intoxication, and the night being very dark and rainy, they mistook their way and walked over the sea wall into the water just where the Mole is curved a little astern of the Liffey. The jury returned a verdict of "Accidental death" and added their verdict "that the dark state of Her Majesty's Dockyard on wintry nights should be referred to the consideration of the proper naval authorities, as there are no lamps in the neighbourhood of the shipping lying alongside the Mole." The coroner commented on the noble impulse which had prompted Lieutenant Henry L Dundas to cast himself into the dark waters to save the life of a drowning fellow creature, only guided by a ray of light from a lantern, and the jury most cordially concurred in his remarks. (The young officer referred to, is a son of the Rev. George Dundas of Nottingham and a grandson of Major Dundas of this city.) |
"H.M.S Liffey, Gibraltar, February 15th 1865"
Sir- I have the honour to request that you will convey to Mr Dundas, Ensign of the 15th Regiment, who was office of the guard, the expression of the sincere thanks, admiration and gratitude of myself, the officers and the ship's company, for his gallant conduct in saving two marines of this ship from drowning on the night of the 14th inst. It appears Mr Dundas was going his rounds when he heard some men struggling in the water; he at once jumped in and assisted one to a place where he could support himself, and then saved the second. Before he could return to the third, the man had unfortunately sunk. It appears that these men were returning on board from leave, and the night being very dark, walked over the mole into the water, and but for Mr Dundas's gallant and timely assistance would have been probably drowned. I beg you will bring this to the notice of his Excellency the Governor. - I have the honour to be, sir, your obedient servant, George Parker Captain, 15th Regiment, Gibraltar. |