DROWNING GIRL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 29, 4 February 1935, Page 8

DROWNING GIRL.

RESCUE BY 'PLANE. AFTER THREE HOURS. SURF MEN'S PLUCKY EFFORTS HELP FROM HOBSONVILLE. After drifting backwards and forwards at the "ill of every current, some 400 yards off the beach in n heavy swell, beyond every effort of surf club members, n young woman, wlio had been swept from Karekare Bench in the surf yesterday, was rescued, after three Louis, by a seaplane summoned from Hobsonville. The woman was Miss Hazel Bent ha m, aged 30, who lives at 28, Bientwoo.l Avenue. Mount Kden. She was taken to a private hospital by thii St. John Ambulance, and her condition this morning is quite satisfactory. It was only Miss Bent ham's extraordinary courage and coolnese which enabled her to keep afloat for so loujji while another extraordinary feature is that she did no: hear the aeroplane ■which rescued her, does not remember being taken aboard, and only returned to full consciousness when in the home of Flight-Lieutenant S. Wallingford. Miss Benthani went swimming with a companion, Mr. L. Shaw, of 2S, Merivale Avenue, Epsom, in the usual part of the beach about 2.15, taking with her an air mattress. It was shortly after that time that the accident happened. She was standing only up to her knees when she was swept off her feet. She lost hold of her air mattress, was caught in the undertow and carried out beyond the breakers. Almost immediately the surf line from the Karekare boarding bouse was taken out by Mr. S. Turner, of 34. Tranmere Road, Sandi'ingham, but though it was 300 yards long, it was too short, this showing how rapidly Mi*s Benthani had been carried out. < Summons to Piha. An urgent summons was sent to Hie Piha Surf Life saving Club, and it was only 15 minutes before a lorry arrived with a team from that club. So hurried wius the trip that on the way the sides and back of the lorry fell oli', but they were left on the road and recovered on the. return trip. "It is the fastest \ trip I ever made.'" said one member of J the team this morning. The club took , over its sole reel, leaving only a line , on the Piha Beach. The team was j Messrs. Ci K. Holt (secretary), A. L. , Sutton, S. Moore and D. Sinkovich.

Meanwhile, M!«s Bentham, using wisdom that undoubtedly saved her life, did not struggle, but concentrated oji keeping afloat.

.Mr. Suttoii went out witli the 440yard line, but eould not reach Miss Benthain. He returned and went out again ■with the two lines joined together, but even witli 740 yards of line he could not Teach her; for by that time she had drifted past the great rock on the north end of the beach, and was off the next rock-strewn bay. Mr. Sntton could not swim directly out to her, owing to the rock, but had to go straight out and then swim along. At that stage she was r>oo yards off the rock. The nearest Jfr. Button-got to her was 300 yards. To haul Mr. Stltton in, the other 'members on the beach had to go far along to the eolith end to gain a sufficient angle to draw him past the rock with safety.

Hγ. Sutton had become exhausted, and liad to be hauled back. He was sent in a car to the boardingrhouse, where a cujj of tea revived him* He had been some three quarters of an hour in the •water and was very cold. ■

Drifting, and StillAly/e. ■All this time Miss JBcntham was drifting in a line roughly parallel with fiiLbeach, between -Karekare and the next hay. When it was seen that no surf line could reach .her, and as there was Ho surf bout available, a telephone call wafi made to the Hobmnville air base. It was known that Miss 'Bentham was alive, .because Mr. Sutton had t-een her ewimniing a little and then resting. At HbuHonville there was only a skeleton staff, but Squadron-Leader L. M leitt, in command at the U\se, got the Fairey mi seaplane to the Water and dispatched her with Flight-Lieutenant S. Wallingford and Leading Aircraftsman J. Palmer on board. SquadronLeader Isitt followed in a Gipsy Moth to assist. . Further Rescue Attempt. In the meantime it was reported from the rock at Karekare that Miss Bentham had drifted from the rocky bay along into Karekare Bay again. Mr. Holt took out the line this time, and guided by directions from the rock, had approached to within 100 yards of Miss Bentham when the 'plane arrived. By then she was some 300 yards from the beach. He had had a glimpse of her as she wae lifted in a big roller, and he expected to reach her in a few minutes. I At first ho had thought that what he | could_ see was seaweed, but soon after j ihe discovered it was a human figure. Flight-Lieutenant Wallingford brought down hie machine from the south end of the beach, and then taxied towards Miss Bentham. "I was near enough to see them' pass a boathook to her, which elie grasped," Mr. Holt said. "Mr. Wallingford waved to me to go back, and 6o I gave the signal to be hauled in." Leading-Aircraftsman Palmer climbed on to one of the floats, and he and the flight-lieutenant, who had also climbed down to the floats, drew Mi? 3 Bentham on to the 'plane. She wae barely conscious, and though the machine was fairly close to the shore, they applied yesuscitation methods immediately. After that the machine was taxied to calmer ■water, where Miss Bentham was taken Into the body of the machine.

After the return flight to Hobsonville, Jliss Bentham was given attention by Mrs. Wallingford. pending the arrival of Dr. Garh'eld Stewart, of Takapuna. Subsequently ehe was taken-to hospital.

Several factors had contributed towards- the delay in the start from the base, said Squadron-Leader Isitt. Onlv Valf tho norninl staff was available to jann"Ti the seaplane, wliile the telephone to the ba«e was o"t of order, neeessitatincr a journey of some distance to the base by a mp'nber of the lo?al po=t office staff' to deliver the messasre It •was fortunate that weather oonditions ■were such that it was possible to use a seaplane. .