ORDEAL IN STREAM.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 230, 28 September 1936, Page 8

ORDEAL IN STREAM.

TWO MOTORISTS TRAPPED. STRUGGLE UNDER WATER. Two motorists had a narrow escape from drowning wlien their car crashed through a bridge over the'Mangatawhiri stream late on Saturday night and came to rest upside down in the middle of the stream. The driver, Mr. William Wallace Stewart, a taxi driver, of 25, Pencarrow Avenue, was going to Katikati and had as a passenger Mr. Herman Diggleman, 36, St. Andrew's Road, Epsom, who had received an urgent summons to his father's hedside. _ Approaching the Mangatawhiri stream, about five miles south of Pokeno, on the Pokeno-Paeroa main highway, the car skidded, failed to straighten up and crashed through the bridge. It came to rest with just the wheels above the water. The occupants were imprisoned in the car, but Mr. Diggleman, who was sitting in the front with the driver, was fortunate to free himself almost immediately. Mr. Stewart was not so fortunate and experienced great difficulty in extricating himself from behind the steering wheel and opening the door. The sudden inrush of water when Mr. Diggleman opened his door handicapped him, but ho finally struggled out and reached the surface in a semi-conscious condition. They both succeeded in gaining the bank and made for the road, where they signalled several passing ears before they finally managed to stop a motorist who brought them into Otaliuhu. Vrom there they were taken to Auckland by taxi. Both men ''were severely bruised and cut and were suffering from shock and intense cold. The Mangatawhiri, which is a mountain-fed stream, having its source in the Hunua Ranges, was icy cold and as it was after midnight, more than two hours after the accident, before they reached Otahuhu. they were affected by chill 011 their arrival. Mr. Stewart was admitted to hospital.