Clarence Roy

Henry Ferhman and Herman Ahrens left on a fishing trip from Point Peron in the boat, Clarence Roy, on the morning of 29 June 1896.

The boat never returned and nothing further was heard about the men until the 28July, when a fisherman named James Davis found the body of a man in a greatly decomposed state floating in Safety Bay.

On being taken ashore the body was identified as that of Henry Ferhman. Ferhman was a single man, of about 25 years of age. The body was brought to Fremantle and an inquest into the circumstances surrounding the death was held on the 30 July by the coroner, Dr. Lovegrove. The jury returned a verdict that the deceased met his death by drowning, but that there was no evidence to show how he got into the water.

The Police put out a missing persons notice in their monthly gazette for Ahrens. He was described as a fisherman, of stout build, and of around 30 years of age. He was about five foot five inches tall, with dark hair, dark moustache, dark brown eyes and sharp thin nose. He had a round visage, dark complexion, bow legged and was a native of Germany.

The remains of a man, supposed to be those of Ahrens, was later found on the sea beach, Murray District on the 4 August 1896.