The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-06-17 00:00:00

TERRIBLE BOAT ACCIDENT AT
EASTBOURNE.

At Eastbourne, on Sunday morning, a shocking calamity
occurred by which twelve persons, nearly all young men be-
longing to the artisan class, met with their death under the
following circumstances :

Shortly after eleven o'clock, the fishing lugger
Nancy's Pride put off from Eastbourne, in charge of
the owner, Samuel Huggett, who had on board a party
of eleven men and a boy. The wind, which was rather
choppy, was from the north-east, and when the party
had got about three quarters of a mile out a sudden
gust came, and theboat heeled on one side and shipped
a little water. Some of the occupants seem, in the
excitement of the moment, to have rushed to leeward,
the result being that the craft was overbalanced and
capsized, the whole party being precipitated into the
water.
The Eastbourne Chronicle has published the follow-
ing statement of the only survivor, Richard Dean.
He says :
"When I found the boat going over, I sprang into
the water and swam away to get clear. I afterwards
looked round, and thinking, as the boat did not founder,
it might, perchance, get righted—you don't know what
to think at such moments—l swam back and got hold
of her: the others were clinging to her and scrambling
about. in fright. I tried to persuade them to keep
I quiet. Huggett, the captain, who had not got hold
of tbe boat, said something to the effect that if they
had not all got to one side of the boat, it would not
have oCcurred. Almost directly afterwarOs his arms
went up and he disappeared. Afterwards the boat went
down, and I and the others were sucked under with
her, but most of us came up again, I among the num-
ber. I struggled about and tried to neaist some others
as well as I could. I was pulled under by them dine.
lug to me. I came up to the surface again, aird
managing to release myself, got away after much strug-
gliog. One young man—l think be was A. RusFeli,
but can% say for certain—came away with me, and I
told him to throw his bead back and keep his arms
down' and he might have a chance perhaps. He fol-
lowed a short distance, awl then went down close
beside me. There were several afloat at that time, and
they called to me to help them, but I told them I could
not. The last man I saw on the water had hold of an.
oar. I thought if it would hold one up it would hold two,
and I struck out for this oar, and direely I got to it
he came hand over hand towards me. I said, 'Keep
I to the other end and it will be all right, He went
-back, still keeping his hand on the oar, but .directly
after I saw his eyes roll, his arms went up and, and he
went down. I kept afloat by means of the oar, and
took off my boots and stockings and also my coat, but
seeing a boat coming forward, I bailed it, and got my
coat again. The little boy was picked up after I way.
I should think I was in the wat, r about a Quarter of
an hoar previous to the boa` going down. I had my
arms round the little boy, but the captain called him
to him ; he was brought ashore alive,. but afterwards
died."

The capsizing of the lugger was observed by the
coastguard watchman on shore, and, several boats, in.