QM2 Man Overboard??

[Jacyn Wade]

Whilst perusing the CTV (Canadian Television Network) website looking for contact info to do a piece on MD on 3 September, I came across this:

Search underway for crew member who went overboard cruise ship off Newfoundland | CTV News

Sounds a bit odd to me. I'm thinking they'll likely not find him.

Jacyn

[j.sabourn]

They will have to go through the motions Jacyn for the public record, and who knows they may get lucky if they know the time and position of being lost. They would also put out a general call ( CQ ) to all ships in area to keep a lookout for same. JS

[Keith Moody]

he doesn`t stand much chance of being picked up, although it is summer in that region, the waters are still to cold to survive very long. add to that the fog and they do not know when or where he went overboard. the only clue is that he did not turn too for work when expected. I would say he has already met and is talking to Davy Jones. it is not an easy thing to just fall overboard, you can do it yourself by climbing up on the rails and jumping in and in some cases the person is helped on his way.
we had a simular thing on the Arcadia in 1956, a BR. steward called Sandy .......? went either over the rails or through a port hole, nothing was ever found about why or if he did it to himself, again it was him not turning too that called the alarm.
keith moody
R635978

[Keith Tindell]

We had a jumper on the Stirling Castle, he was seen to go over the wall, and the alarm was raised immediately, ship was turned round, but no sign of him. Very difficult to spot someone in the water if it is mildly choppy even. he was a crew member , but the interesting fact was that the roll call for all hands and passengers took 15-20 minutes, and we knew who it was. I wonder if this would happen on cruise ships today, KT

[Captain Kong]

On The Cunard Carinthia in 1961 a Steward was battered and then hi body thrown overboard,
I was on the wheel and we turned round 180` for a few hours but no sign.
I have been on QM2 a few times there is no way you can fall overboard on deck, so he either jumped or was `Assisted`
Cheers
Brian

[j.sabourn]

It seems that most suicides ashore usually leave a note of some description, and yet those who commit hari kari at sea seldom do. Must be an instantaneous thing at sea, unless of course foul play. One time sailing with a lascar crew had a lot of trouble with a Pathan Serang, apparently his brother on another ship had been put in a burlap sack sewn up and tossed over the side by his fellow seamen, the Serang I had was also promised the same end as was very disliked by most, very rare with lascars as they plodded the strict line of demarcation. The only time I saw his bad side was when he demanded money for some old rope which went ashore in Montreal after coming out of the lakes, and the bonus they also got from the Charterers for hold cleaning I sent back ashore as they hadn't done the job. Took him down the tween decks on some pretext and held him by his neck over a half empty hold and promised him any further problems and he would be getting the deep six next time. He literally turned white. The crew still had it in for him and was glad when it came to crew change. JS

[j.sabourn]

This post does in no way refer to any form of race belittling. I have sailed with full crews of West Indians, Chinese, lascars, moolims, Cape Verdes, Indonesians, Malays, Philipinos, and a few I have probably forgotten. I always respected their religious beliefs and way of life. The trouble in the present world is not about genuine religious beliefs it is about power and the vacuum it left after foreign intervention. Religion and all such is an excuse, it would be halted in its tracks if all religion was stopped, the conflict would then carry on in its true colours which is power grabbing and we see the same happening in Africa today. They say they want a moolim state, this means they do not want change from the manner they have lived for the past 10 centuries. We do not require or need such in western life, so why allow it to flourish in our own backyard. JS

[Jacyn Wade]

Was thinking the same thing, Brian. I've also been on QM2 and can't remember anywhere one could simply fall overboard.

By the way, what's a lascar and a Pathan Serang?

[Captain Kong]

Hi Jacyn,
A Lascar is an Indian/ Bangladeshi Sailor.
A Pathan is a ****** Sailor and the Serang is like a Bosun.
Brian

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Jaycin
Nice to see you back even if it's a sad comment.
On tankers in the 50s there used to be quite a number of jumpers, was on one when one night the sparks just walk out of the radio shack and jumped over the wall, we turned around with all the crew on deck looking but no sign of him of course. But many have been picked up, three German seamen went over the side in a storm in the Bay of Biscay all three were picked up. Also a Swede who had been drinking fell over the side in the Caribbean three days later an Indian lookout on another ship heard someone singing in the water, [ The seaman was lucky the Indian didn't run and hide} it was the booze that had kept him going.
Cheers Des