Rescue Mission For Family

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30389, 13 March 1964, Page 12

Rescue Mission For Family

(New Zealand Press Association) GISBORNE, March 12. A mercy mission to rescue a distressed baby trapped with its parents in a car between slips on the Waioeka Gorge highway will be made by a Gisborne police party which will set out before dawn tomorrow to force its way through to the scene.

The car containing the young couple and the baby is marooned about three miles on the Opotiki side, half-way through the gorge. The police first made an effort to send in a helicopter from Wairoa to bring out the mother and child. Because of turbulence in the gorge and the late hour the helicopter was unable to go in. The Opotiki police then tried to go in on horseback but were unable to get past the slips. The Gisborne police party will attempt to force its way through and rescue the mother and child first. Many large slips and extensive washouts on the 36mile Waioeka gorge highway were evidence of phenominal flooding, said Sergeant B. W. Bickley, of the Gisborne police, who led a police party

» half-way through the gorge r today. s The river adjoining the i highway had risen 20 to 30 feet above normal, he said. i Many vehicles, including a r police car, are trapped be- > tween slips and their oceuf pants were given refuge last I night by settlers and road • workers. One man accommodated six and another 14 i standed motorists. : The majority abandoned t their cars today and came out. ' The river has gouged out ' a big section of the highway > near the gorge monument, cutting the road back almost ■ to the cliffs and leaving only ■ a narrow rubble covered ' track. I The Automobile Association . said tonight the gorge would > 'be closed for an indefinite r period.