SERIOUSLY HURT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 219, 16 September 1938, Page 18

SERIOUSLY HURT.

HON. R. SEMPLE'S SON. PINNED BY A TRACTOR. HOUR IN CREEK BED. (By Ti'li-smph.— Vtc*h Association.) WELLINGTON", Thursday. After beinjr pinned for an hour under a five-ton tractor, which tell with him down a 30ft liaiik in the Xguhaiiranga Gorge thin afternoon, Mr. V. K. Scmple. son of the Hon. 1?. Sciuple. Minister <.f Public Works, was Inter admitted ti> the Lewisham Hospital. His condition to-night, wan serious. Air. Scmple's injuries, consist of severe shock, loss of jMtrtion of four lingers of the right hand and a lacerated* wound in the upper .right arm. Mr. Noniplc wan driving a tractor on the N'gahuiiranga Gorge Koad conetriiction job lieing carried out by the Public Works Department. He was backing the tractor on portion of the oULroud and * hunk pave way. causing the machine and the driver to roll down to a*creek below.

Head Jtut Above Water. There, with hi* right arm and hand crushed and with only room to keep his head above the shallow water of the creek in which he wan held, Mr. Semjile lay for an hour until the tractor could be lifted sufficiently to permit hi* release. Other men on the job rushed to give assistance at once, and under the direction of the engineer in charge, Mr. M. Goddart, steel cable* were attached to two other tractor* on the road and the i heavy machine wan slowly lifted from the injured man. Extreme care had to he exercised liecanap of the danger that the tractor might fall back and crush Mr. Semple. As the 1 raptor wa« lifted hand jacks and chocks, were employed as an additional precaution.'and it was al*o found necessary to dismantle part of the fallen tractor before Mr. Semple , could 'be released. The accident occurred in the lower part of the gorge, about 120 yards on the. Wellington side of the water tunnel, at about 4 p.m. Father Reachea the Scene. The Hpn. R. Semple arrived at the seene shortly before his son was released and accompanied him in an ambulance to the Lewisham Hospital. Mr, Semple. junior, was conscious all the time and spoke with his father. "That is the coldest swim I have ever had." he said as he wa« being put in the. ambulance on a stretcher. One of the workmen who witnessed the accident said he would like to pay • tribute to the engineer in charge, and the overseer, Mr. J. Collard, for the efficient manner in which the difficult task of raising the tractor was carried out. "Everv possible precaution was taken to prevent the machine rolling back on Mr, Semple," he said.