Frederick Martin
Vessel Name: Brittania
Frederick Martin
Drowned at sea; body never recovered
24 November 1899
The Daily News, Saturday 25 November 1899
Frederick Martin, commonly known as ‘Crayfish Fred’, was a young native of Sweden, unmarried and a seasoned fisherman.
Martin, it seems, was in the habit of going out in the boat by himself and according to statements given by other fishermen he left Fremantle on Friday 24 November, between 4am and 5am with the intention of going to Safety Bay.
The boat was the Britannia, about 24 foot in length. The Britannia was owned by a man named Robert Johnson of Midland Junction, and Martin leased the boat from him. Martin was seen on board the boat when she sailed out of the river. The wind was blowing fresh from the south west and what happened when he got out of the harbour can only be surmised.
At around 7.30am the same morning, two fishermen Cornelius Brown and Jack Moran, where at camp on Woodman’s Point, about five miles to the south of Fremantle, when they observed a boat drifting towards the shore with all her sails set. As soon as the boat grounded they secured her and waded out, only to find that the boat was unoccupied.
There was no name printed on the boat, but a box found onboard indicated that she was called the Britannia. There was also evidence that the occupant/s had partaken of a meal at some time before the mishap.
Brown and Moran sailed the boat over the course that they had seen it drifting, in order to make sure that there was no one in need of assistance in the water. Finding no trace of anybody in the vicinity of the Point, they sailed the boat to Fremantle and reported the matter to Coxswain Hopkins of the water police.
Inquiries were made by the officer, which then identified the owner, confirmation of the boat involved, the Britannia, and confirmation that the person on board the boat when it left Fremantle was indeed, Frederick Martin ‘Crayfish Fred’.
As there was evidence in the Britannia that Martin had partaken of a meal, it was surmised that while he was thus engaged, a sudden gust of wind caused the boom to swing over and striking him unawares knocked him overboard. No trace of him was found.