Rover 1896
Vessel Name: Rover
"Sam"
Drowned at Sea; Unclear if body ever recovered
21 April 1896
Tuckey's cannery in Mandurah c. 1900
The Kalgoorlie Miner, Friday 24 April 1896
The Rover was a fishing cutter used by W. D. Moore and Co. to transport various goods including canned fish from Mandurah to Fremantle. They employed George Powzer (or Dowser) as the Master of the vessel. Powzer had a man onboard only known by the first “Sam”.
On the evening of Tuesday 21 April, The Rover was conveying 32 cases of fish from Mandurah to Fremantle with the two men onboard. Whilst proceeding through the south passage near Garden Island they struck a reef and the boat sank.
The men seized an oar and a spar, and set out to swim to Point Person. Powzer helped Sam all he could, but Sam was not a strong swimmer. He gave up and drowned. Powzer managed to swim half a mile and reached Point Peron, from where he walked to Rockingham, and reported the matter to the Fremantle Water Police. The Water Police, upon hearing of the tragedy, launched the Police Schooner to the scene of the disaster. It is unclear if the body of the deceased was ever recovered.
Little is known of “Sam” and it is unlikely we will ever know his full name.