On 13 August 1909 the steamship "Insizwa" reported sighting of several bodies off the mouth of Bashee (Mbashe) River, near the location of the last confirmed sighting of the "Waratah". The Captain of the "Tottenham" also allegedly saw bodies in the water, more than two weeks after the "Waratah" disappeared. The tug "Harry Escombe" was sent out to search for the bodies, but failed to find any; it did however find floating objects which resembled human bodies, which turned out to be dead skate.