AWARDS FOR. BRAVERY

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27041, 16 May 1953, Page 3

AWARDS FOR. BRAVERY

BRONZE MEDAL FOR SEWER RESCUE WELLINGTON ENGINEER’S ACTION The Bronze Medal of the Royal Humane Society of New Zealand has been awarded to Mr John Goodwin Smith, a sewerage and drainage maintenance engineer employed by the Wellington City Council. This was decided at a meeting yesterday of the court of directors of the Royal Humane Society of New Zealand. The citation to Mr Smith’s award says that on November 11, 1952, two men working in a sewer manhole tn Featherston street, Wellington, were overcome by sewer gas and coUaneed. “Mr Smith, reaflstag the men's plight and taiowing that exposure to a high concentration ot sewer gas for a short time could have fatal results, tied a rope rodtid his body, entered the manhole and attached grappling irons to one of the men, who was then pulled to safety. Mr Smith was attempting to rescue the second means of the rope.” Hayes, Central Otago, was awarded the society’s framed certificate for rescuing, in a leaking rowing-boat, a pilot whose aeroplane crashed in the lake. Mr Dennison's two sons, who assisted in the rescue, will receive letters of appreciation from the society. The citation says that the aeroplane, piloted by Mr M. L Harper, crashed into the lake on August 27, 1952. Mr Dennison and his sons promptly launched a rowing boat which nad been on the beach since the previous summer and leaked badly. “With the two boys rowing and Mr Dennison bailing the badly-leaking boat, they rowed some 1200 yards to pick up Mr Harper, who by this time was exhausted. Exceptional care had to foe taken in pulling the pilot aboard the partly water-filled boat, and only by ceaseless bailing did the boat reach the shore, with only about 4in of freeboard.”