Woman Swims Opihi Gorge Rapids

Press, Volume C, Issue 29671, 15 November 1961, Page 2

Woman Swims Opihi Gorge Rapids

(From Our Own Reporter) TIMARU, November 14. Two “frightening” experiences while swimming the rapids in the Opihi Gorge were described, today by Mrs Joy Stringer, the only woman in a party of 10 members of the South Canterbury Sub-Aqua Club who made a four-hour swim downstream through the gorge on Sunday.

Mrs Stringer lost her snorkel twice where the river drops very abruptly, in place® about 10ft over short distances. "I was really enjoying the experience, apart from a few bumps when I lost my snorkel. and the mask filling up with water,” she said. "The rapids were foaming, and I was choking when I went down quickly.” Her husband, Mr L. Stringer, and another swimmer were able to give help Mrs Stringer suffered a second fright under similar circumstances soon afterwards. Mrs Stringer was wearing a dry suit, but because of inexperience she was unable to control her flippers to the same extent as the men Things were a little easier when her husband towed her over the rapids, and by holding on to his waist she was able to help him as welL Mr Stringer, who was president of the South Canterbury Sub-aqua Club, said the swim was possibly the first of its kind in New Zealand. From what he could gather, no other person had ever entered the oarts of the river the club had swum through on Sunday. “It was terribly rugged for a woman, and beat lamos and liniments are all my wife has for her pains." he said. Some of the raoids were "rather frightening.” he said Many of the members of the party were b-uised. one los* his snorkel, and pressure in the rapids solrt the casing of a member's underwater movie-camera, thus ruining the record of the trip. Members of the party tne'uded a man in his late fifties, and two members from the Ashburton club. All the party began the swim at 10.45 am., using snorkels, and all except one younger member wore rubber diving suits The youneer member, wearing only a bathing suit, reached the party’s destination at 2 15 0.m.. the rest arriving within an hour.

Swimming The Deep Mrs Stringer said she enjoyed swimming the river where it was deep. In many of the deep holes members saw trout of *an estimated weight of 121 b, and eels of similar size. "There were only a few places where we had to walk because the water was too shallow." she said. The mother of three children. Mrs Stringer first took up under-water swimming last year, when she was towed round the reefs at Moeraki. The club hopes to have the use of the Waimataitai baths on Monday

evening for instructional purposes. when Mrs Stringer will learn to use the snorkel, and master the flipper technique, The next stage is that of the aqualung. “I hope to have a 'bottle’ by Christmas.” Mrs Stringer said. The other woman member of the club, Mrs F. Yeldofi, has done under-water diving, and it is this aspect of the sport that Mrs Stringer is anxious to master. In the meantime, she is training to be a masseur, with herself as patient.