13 Aug 2013

Lifeguard couldn't swim, not wearing safety jacket

9:48 pm on 13 August 2013

A coroner has found that an Indonesian lifeguard who fell from the side of a ship docked in Lyttleton Harbour could not swim and was not wearing a life jacket.

Nanang Dwi Purwono died in January 2011 after falling while cleaning a lifeboat suspended from the cruise ship's side.

The 29-year-old was one of two men working on the lifeboat when one of the wires suspending it to the ship snapped, causing his own safety line to break.

Crewmen managed to reach the other man in the water, but Mr Purwono disappeared.

Coroner Sue Johnson said Mr Purwono drowned while wearing a heavy safety harness and clothes.