Police investigate cruise ship death

Police are investigating the death of a 29-year-old Indonesian man during a lifeboat exercise aboard a cruise ship in Lyttelton Harbour yesterday.

Two crew members fell into the water after a cable snapped while they were working on a lifeboat hanging on the side of the Volendam, a Holland-American line cruise ship.

The man's body was recovered yesterday evening. He was not wearing a life jacket.

A second crew member was pulled from the water and taken to Christchurch Hospital.

"The maintenance work was done quite regularly but something happened and one of the ropes broke. The sea conditions weren't a factor because the men were on the deck," Sergeant Ross Tarawhiti of Christchurch police told NZPA.

The cruise ship sailed for Wellington last night and Wellington police would today speak to the three or four witnesses - all crew members, Mr Tarawhiti said.

Christchurch police are looking over the life raft that has been recovered.

The incident has been referred to the Coroner.

- NZPA