A PLUCKY RESCUE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2069, 19 October 1893, Page 14

A PLUCKY RESCUE.

Some particulars are given in the Wellington papers of a plucky rescue by Mr Cecil Adams, son of Mr C. W. Adams, chief surveyor, Dunedin. These are set out more in detail in a private letter received from the young gentleman himself, and from this we are permitted to make the following extracts, which will be read with general interest :—

" Since receiving your last letter I have had a rather startling adventure. Hardcastle, Muter, Darling, and myself went out to a, hut we built at Wainui-o-mata. We generally go out on Saturday afternoon and come in on Sunday. After we had had tea Muter and I went to set a line to catch an eel. I had clambered down the face of a cliff, and had just reached the water when something came rushing past me and fell into the water beneath with a big splash. I thought Muter had pushed down a big piece of rock, as it was dark ; but on calling him he did not answer. I then knew that he had fallen iuto the river, which is about 9 or 10 feet deep at that point, and as he didn't come up to the surface I dived in with all my clothes on There was no room to undress at all. I dived down but couldn't feel him and it was too dark to see him, and just as I came to the surface I caught hold of his cap and touched him with my foot. I immediately ducked down but couldn't reach him, and after ducking again I was carried past him. I struck out for the bank and undressed as quickly as I could, and dived in twice where I had felt him, bub he had been carried further down. It was a pool about 30yds long where he fell in, so I commenced at the bottom and dived and waded up about 10yds, when I felt him at the bottom. I gripped him by the collar and a couj>le of strokes brought us to shallow water, and after an immense amount of trouble I managed to get him on the bank. He had been under water all the time, having been stunned falling down the cliff. His heart had stopped beating, and there was an immense gash in his head. I unfastened his clothes, emptied the water out of his mouth, and commenced the treatment for restoring drowned people. After 3 minutes of this he gave one breath, and in about 5 minutes more he was breathing. I then rubbed him on the chest aud stomach, and set off at a run to our hut about 600 yds away, and brought down Hardcastle and Darling and then went off to another house and brought up three men, aud sent one for a doctor, and two more to get hot water and blankets, &o. We carried him to this house and brought him round properly, aud gob the doctor to sew up his head, &c. He had awful bumps on his back, shoulder, and leg, and his head bled very much. We stayed out Saturday and Sunday night, and got an express with a mattress and bags of straw and brought him to town, where he is doing very well. He fell 22ft down the cliff before he reached the water. The doctor said it was the narrowest escape from death he had come across. It was very dismal work looking for Muter in the creek all by ni'-<Hf v* the dark."'

Mrs Kempling, wife of the mailman in the Hazelwood district, Tasmania, while carrying mails on horseback, was stuck up by a man, who demanded money and snatched at her bag. Mrs Kempling struck him in tha face wiih a whip. The scoundrel drew % revolver and fired point blank at her face, bub missed. The police are seatehing for the man.