Yesterday two of the victim's friends told Coroner Edward King that Melvin Stuart Wolffe was depressed on the day of his death.

"Are you saying that he took his own life?'' Mr. King asked David Cox.

"You better believe it,'' the witness responded. "That man took his life, that's the bottom line.

"Nobody pushed him. He didn't fall. There was nobody there.'' Police and rescue officials pulled Mr. Wolffe's body from the waters near the Pier Six Restaurant around 4 p.m. on January 28.

P.C. Marie Alves-Picard and emergency medical technician Quincy Jones both received bravery awards for their attempt to rescue Mr. Wolffe.

Yesterday Mr. Cox, who said he had known Mr. Wolffe for more than 15 years, testified his friend was driven to suicide out of fear.

"He owed one guy three grand and he owed this other guy -- the guy who beat him up with a baseball bat.

"He was running scared and he jumped overboard like a coward and engulfed himself with water.'' Mr. Cox said he saw Mr. Wolffe standing on the dockside apparently preparing to cut his beard with a knife minutes before he was found overboard.

But he said Mr. Wolffe had not been drinking on the day of his death.

Dudley Gumbs, another of Mr. Wolffe's long-time friends, said Mr. Wolffe had also been disheartened by the very recent death of his uncle.

According to Mr. Gumbs, Mr. Wolffe was "fidgety'' throughout the day and at one point said he planned to kill himself, but later claimed he was joking.

"Mel thought somebody was going to kill him -- the people that he done something wrong to,'' said Mr. Gumbs.

"I thought he was joking. He sent me away because he had to do what he had to do.'' Mr. Gumbs said he left his friend alone near Crissons jewellery store on Front Street.

When he returned a few minutes later, Mr. Wolffe was no longer there -- and had taken a kitchen knife from Mr. Gumbs' bag.

Earlier in the inquest the court heard Mr. Wolffe stabbed himself in the neck six times.

And yesterday Mr. Gumbs identified a knife found in the harbour the day after the incident as his own.

SICK CREWMAN HTH Sick crewman A merchant vessel came in yesterday to transfer a sick crewman to hospital.

The 35,000 tonne Goynuk met the pilot vessel St. George at 3 a.m. yesterday with a man who was to be taken to hospital with appendicitis.

He had been treated by four parachutists from a US Coastguard C130 plane, who were dropped on Sunday night. They flew out on the aircraft the same day.

The man was transferred to hospital for treatment.

OPENING DELAYED GVT Opening delayed The opening of a new Sandys community centre has been pushed back indefinitely.

This week, Youth and Sport director Anthony Roberts said final inspections were still being carried out on the site at Springfield on Middle Road.

Government officials earlier said they were aiming for an early April opening date.

But although now mid-April, Mr. Roberts said a final opening date has yet to be decided.

Controversy arose last month when a youth group temporarily housed on the former Canadian base lands, at Daniels Head in Sandys, planned to boycott the new centre.

The members claimed the Springfield site was unsuitable for teens and created an awkward mix of ages.