BRAVE RESCUE.

Auckland Star, 2 January 1931, Page 8

BRAVE RESCUE.

BATHERS IN UNDERTOW.

SWEPT OFF MURIWAI BEACH.

BROUGHT ASHORE EXHAUSTED

CHAIN OF HANDS FORMED.

Two surf bathers were rescued in a completely exhausted condition about mid-day yesterday at Muriwai Beach. The rescues were effected under great difficulties by Miss Gladys Pidgeon, the well-known Empire Games swimmer, her brother Ronald, aged 18, who'is a cadet in the Railway Department, and Mr. James Kempster, the crack English dirt-track rider. Shortly before dead low tide about 30 people, belonging to motor parties, were bathing. Two of their number, Mr. Robert Cameron, aged 18, employed by Milne and Choyce, and Mr. S. W. Barton, also 18, an ex-Grammar School boy, were caught in a strong undertow and carried away .from the beach. Some of. the other bathers were also affected, but managed to scramble towards the shore. Cameron's calls for help were heard by Miss Pidgeon, who was swimming with her brother. They immediately swam out, and after a hard struggle brought him back to shallower water, where the other bathers made a chain of hands to complete the rescue. At this moment it was found that Barton was in trouble. He was calling for help. Mr. Kempster swain out to him and managed to get him to the end of the chain of hands. The rescued men soon recovered after a short rest on the beach. The locality where the bathers , got into trouble is regarded as very dangerous at low water, as there is a strong undertow. There has been similar trouble thereon previous occasions. "There should be a notice on the beach about the danger of the undertow," said Miss Pidgeon this morning. "We went in at the usual place for bathin, but, not being local residents, did not know that it was dangerous at low water.. We discovered afterwards that there' is a life-saving reel, but it is kept near., the rocks, where people do! not swim. So strong did we lincl the. undertow that we had literally to dig' our hands into the sand tfnd crawl out when we got into shallow water., We were then feeling the effects of battling with the surf ourselves. I did riot think that we would, ever get ashore, and for a while it looked as if the. three of us would be swept. out to sea. The waves made such a noise thiit the other bathers could not hear our calls. Fortunately Cameron kept his presence of mind, and did not struggle, otherwise we could not have got him to the beach. While we were bringing him in, we heard Barton's call,* for help, and luckily there was a swimmer on'the spot to go tor him."