Rescue Under Wharf

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31236, 7 December 1966, Page 22

Rescue Under Wharf

(N.Z. Press Association) AUCKLAND, Dec. 6. Three 16-year-old youths rescued an elderly couple whose runabout was in danger of foundering under the Devonport wharf today.

Mr and Mrs L. A. Collins, of Grey Lynn, were in a runabout which Mr Collins was briniging alongside the wharf. On the wharf fishing were Donald Pearson and Paul Butler of Devonport, and Barry Sullivan, of Takapuna. Before Mr Collins could make his boat fast the strong wind and current swept it under the wharf and jammed it against a service pipe. Waves smashed It against

concrete piles and the pipe. To save being swept away Mr Collins held on to the pipe but was weakening. Donald Pearson grabbed a rope from a launch moored at the wharf, ran about 150 yards to the beach, launched a dinghy and rowed out to Mr Collins.

As Mr Collins made an end of the rope fast to his runabout a wave lifted the dinghy so high that Donald hit his head against the underside of the wharf. Donald started rowing towards the launch, 30 or 40 yards away where his friends waited, but the strong rip and wind were too much. He made back for the runabout and tossed the rope to the other side of the wharf where a harbour board worker fastened it to a railing. Donald started for the beach, but fell out of his dinghy. ,

However, he grabbed another rope and swam for the shore, towing the dinghy by the rope gripped between his teeth.

Mr W. Isles, launched the dinghy again, rowed to the runabout, passed Mr Collins a line and got his end of it to the moored launch.