When the New Zealand Company ship Rimutaka was in the Atlantic Ocean, near the Cape Verde Islands, a suicidal passenger threw herself into the water. It seemed she would certainly be lost until steward Dan Pearce jumped in after her. He reached the woman with a lifebelt but the Rimutaka was travelling at about 12 knots and soon lost sight of the pair.
Pearce later described how his heart sank as the steamer disappeared. He also worried about sharks.
"The fear of these bloodthirsty monsters preyed on his mind and almost made him lose his nerve," reported the Herald correspondent in London.
Those on the ship were no less concerned as they searched the ocean and eventually found the pair. For his quick thinking and his bravery, Dan Pearce is our 1905 New Zealander of the Year.
From the Herald archives:
'Sensational incident at sea', New Zealand Herald, 5 June 1905
