TAXI-DRIVER SAVES GIRL

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31234, 5 December 1966, Page 1

TAXI-DRIVER SAVES GIRL

Others Rescued From Avon

Four boys and two girls, all teen-agers, escaped drowning and serious injury when a car plunged into the Avon river near the New Brighton bridge about 12.15 a.m. yesterday.

A 34-year-old taxi-driver, Mr A. J. McMurtrie, of 157 Locksley avenue, saved the life of one of the girls. He jumped into the river fully-clothed, and pulled the girl out of the car by her foot.

The car had come to rest on its side with a few inches visible above the water. Those in the car were: Beverley Gavin, aged 15, of 30 Patrick street, who suffered shock and internal injuries. She was admitted to the Princess Margaret Hospital where her condition last evening was reported to be satisfactory, and improving. Paula Leathern, aged 14, of 400 Innes road. Phillip Simons, aged 18, of 3 Truman road. Roger Annett, aged 15, of 17 Clarence street. David Flewellyn, aged 15, of 76 Hoani street. They suffered shock and were discharged after treatment at the Christchurch Hospital. Brent Mason, of 242 Waimairi road, who suffered shock but went home without being taken to the hospital. The group had been at the Surf City dance in the South Brighton community centre. The car, driven by Phillip Simons, was travelling along Owles terrace, towards the New Brighton bridge. The car hit the unplanked portion of a jetty on a slight curve in the road east of the bridge.

The car hit stringers, running parallel to the river bank, on the jetty. It was twisted in a half-circle, and turned over sideways to land in the river on its side facing the direction opposite to which it had been tavelling. The tide had been ebbing for about three hours. At high tide the car would have been two feet or more under water.

“I was travelling towards South Brighton when I saw a man and a woman, just off the New Brighton bridge.” Mr McMurtrie said. “I thought I would get a job on the way to the one at South Brighton, turned round, and went past the two slowly. But they did not signal me. and I was just driving off again

when I heard a faint whistle.

“The man said, ‘A car has just gone into the river, and I suppose we had better do something about it’,” Mr McMurtrie said. He manoeuvred his taxi on to the bank and asked the man to hold the spotlight on the taxi so that it shone on the car.

"I told our operator on the radio-telephone that a car had gone into the river. He cleared the channel of traffic, and eight or nine taxis were at the scene within minutes. Our operator also informed the St. John Ambulance and the police. "I jumped in. Two of the boys had got out of the car, and they were great. They were helping to pull out another boy. I helped with the boy, and the two boys and myself got a girl out. They all seemed to be well enough, although full of water and dazed.

“The car had stirred up all the mud, and the water was very dark and murky. I asked one of the boys how many were in the car and he said five, and that there was another girl. “I was groping round in water up to my neck, and felt and then saw a foot. I grabbed it, and a boy and I pulled the girl out. She seemed to be unconscious. I

had a job keeping her above water while I carried her to the bank. Then I couldn’t get her up the bank—it was too steep and high.

“1 asked one of the boys on the bank to give me a hand. He was dazed and shocked and I had to shout at him before he realised what I wanted.

“It was dark, but finally we got the girl up on the bank. She began to cough and splutter, thank goodness. We tipped her up to get the water out of her. She became hysterical as she recovered and we had to hold her down. “I got the three boys and two girls in my taxi, because I wanted to know how many had been in the car. They agreed it was five, and then one of the boys said he was certain there had been six. They were all shocked and couldn’t remember much. “I borrowed a torch from another taxi-driver and went back to the car in the river. I couldn’t see too well in the muddy water, and I couldn’t find anyone else.” Mr McMurtrie said there was about four inches of water in the taxi. He lost a new wrist watch, worth £25, in the river. The five were taken to hospital in the St. John ambulance. The missing boy was Brent Mason, who got out of the car by himself and wandered round dazed until he engaged a taxi at the scene to get him home. Yesterday afternoon, Mr McMurtrie was telephoned by the parents of three of those who were in the car. He was told not to worry about his watch—the parents woulcfget him another.

Mr McMurtrie’s rescue yesterday morning recalled when their youngest son, Bruce, two years ago was rescued from the Avon river, at Kerrs reach.

Bruce, then aged two, undid the rope on the front gate at their home, crossed the road to the river bank and fell in. The family dog went with him and attracted the attention of 73-year-old Mrs V. Harvey, of 163 Locksley avenue. Mrs Harvey pulled Bruce from the river and revived him. Four years ago, Mrs McMurtrie saw a two-year-old boy floating face down in the river near her house and rescued him, applying artificial resuscitation to start him breathing again.