The Mercury Newspaper:-Tuesday 30 July 1918
ACCIDENT TO KETCH GOOD INTENT.
Mr. W. O. Wise. Registrar of the Supreme Court, who was appointed by the Executive Council under the Wrecks Inquiry Act, 1874, to inquire into the cause of the accident on the ketch Good Intent on June 16, off Cartwright's Point, Sandy Bay, which resulted in the loss of a member of the crew, Ernest Mc Guiness, carried out the inquiry yesterday, and reported as follows:-
I examined the master of the ketch Good Intent, George James Price, and also his son, Herbert Price, who were on board at the time of the accident, and I have come to the conclusion that the death of Mc Guiness was caused by an accident, namely, by the topping lift being car- ried away during a squall, while the crew were engaged in reefing the main- sail. The deceased fell overboard in consequence of the lurch caused by the breakage, and was only seen for a few seconds afterwards in the water. I am satisfied from the evidence that the master and crew acted promptly after the accident in attempting to assist the deceased, but although, the deceased was reported to be an expert swimmer, no trace could be found of the body. I do not consider a formal investigation requisite, nor would such formal investigation elicit any further evidence.