Dragged by the sinking ship

According to his account, the Bluebelle was damaged by a sudden squall. His wife and the rest of the family on board were injured when parts of the ship collapsed. The ship caught fire when the gas lines ruptured inside the engine room, causing the ship to slowly sink into the dark ocean. He said that he couldn’t rescue the rest of the passengers as the rest of them got tangled in lines and rigging that dragged them down as the ship sank.

Consumed by guilt

Authorities bought his story for a while. They housed him at the Sandman Hotel where he stayed for a few days following his rescue. Then he heard about Terry Jo’s miraculous survival. The next day he took his own life inside his room at the hotel.