RESCUE IN WELL

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 147, 23 June 1945, Page 7

RESCUE IN WELL

DIVER'S BRAVE FEAT

EX-CHAMPION SAVED MATE O.C. SYDNEY, June 20. In recognition of his extraordinary bravery in diving to rescue a mate trapped in a well, Walter Lucas, former diving champion, will receive a presentation from his trade union, the Storemen and Packers.

He rescued Stanley Quinn, an ex-serviceman, at the Argyle Street Free Bond Store.

Quinn, who weighs 14st, fell into 7ft of cold, oily water when he was repairing a 40-ton compression tank floating in* a well. He became trapped in a space 3ft high, underneath the tank.

It took 14 minutes to find him and bring him to the surface. During this time the tank was slowly descending, because of a fault in the pump that supplies air to keep it afloat.

Apart from the light given by an electric bulb on a movable lead, the well was in darkness, but fellow workers heard the splash when Quinn fell. Made Six Dives Lucas, fully clothed, dived down the 2ft space between the well and the compression tank. After six dives he found Quinn unconscious under the tank. Quinn's hands were gripping a stanchion, but Lucas pressed his feet against the tank spindle and tugged till he freed Quinn. Lucas weighs J3Jst, and when he tried to carry Quinn to the surface, their combined weights made it impossible for them to get through the 2ft space together.

He left Quinn, went to the surface for air, and dived again to pick Quinn up and push him from underneath.

Quinn said he had no recollection of falling or of being rescued, but vaguely remembered swimming towards a light, then giving up hope of reaching it. He could also remember feeling very contented in the water.

"That must have been when I gave up all hope of reaching the light," he said. "It certainly was the most restful feeling I've ever had."