LONG TRIP.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 30, 6 February 1939, Page 4

LONG TRIP.

MINE TO HOSPITAL.

. INJURED. BY ROCK FALL 84 MILES BY BOAT AND CAR. (By Telegraph—Own Correspondent.) . NEW PLYMOUTH, Saturday. Injured in a fall of white rock in a coal mine, 27 miles up the Mokau River at 5.30 p.m. yesterday, Mr. John Joseph Spiers, aged 28, single, had to be taken 12 miles in a rowing boat and two miles in a launch, then 70 miles in the district nurse's car to the New Plymouth Hospi-; tal, where he arrived at midnight.

Mr. Spiers, whose home is at. Huntly, was severely-injured in the lower spine, and suffered great pain until' attended by ..the district nurse, Sister I. M. Sinclair.

Without a sound or warning the rock fell away from the mine roof, and struck Mr. Spiers in the back. Another fall started, but the injured man was removed by Mr. H. Jones, part owner of tlie mine, before it fell.

Mr. Jones managed to carry Mr. Spiers to the river and place him on a rowing boat to take him 12 miles down the river before the launch was met. The launch, operated by the proprietors, had left the mine shortly before the accident and was about two miles down the river when the fall occurred.

, News of the accident was conveyed by telephone from the mine to Sister Sinclair's cottage, and efforts were made to stop the launch. At last it was stopped when well down the river.

v Mr. Spiers was transferred from the boat and taken to the ferry, where he was put in Sister Sinclair's car and taken straight to New Plymouth.

Although tlie river was not in a bad state yesterday, it is very sluggish between the mine and the Awahou Road .ferry, and it took Mr. Jones about two Oiours to bring .the boat from the mine to where it was met by the launch and the injured man taken to the ferry. -

The mine where the accident occurred is a. small concern owned by Messrs. Jones and Waite and worked by Messrs. Jones and Spiers.