Tunnel Survivors Were Not Worried

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32235, 2 March 1970, Page 1

Tunnel Survivors Were Not Worried

Ac/r Zealand Pres* Association

AUCKLAND, March 1. The horror of 10 hours spent in water that crept up to his chin while he was trapped in the Kaimai tunnel were brushed aside by Mr Hubert Neely as he lay with his left leg in plaster in Waikato Hospital today.

“I’m not worried about it all—none of us were worried down there,” he said. i “We knew that it was only a matter of time before we were got out.

‘‘The most uneasy time, was when the water was creeping up—the boys trying to free me were working against time," he said. ; “Another half-hour and the water would have been up over my mouth. I couldn’t; move. I'd just have been;

drowned. But 1 still really wasn't worried. These things happen.” Mr Neely did not look worried. Neatly shaved, he looked the picture of health. It was hard to believe that he had just spent 80 hours lying injured, 70ft underground. “I can't tell you too much about it all because there will be an inquiry,” he said in reply to a query. “Bill Gilheaney and I, in the first • place, owe our lives to Mur-i ray Hemopo and the boys—they slaved to get us free,” he! said. “Wonderful Job” “Then we owe our lives to the hundreds of people who. gave their brains and brawn to firid a way of getting us out. I It was just a wonderful job' and we want to thank every person involved.” Mr Neely was the first concern of the five uninjured men trapped underground. He said that he and Mr Gilheaney and the three men now missing, believed killed, were working at the portal end of the tunnel on the upper level when the cave-in began. They could see and hear; the rubble falling but it seemed to come all at once He called to the men to run back into the tunnel and not! toward the portal. He did not l see what happened to thel other three men and was! soon caught in the rubble. Trapped In Water He must have been thrust I down one of the shafts that, had been cut between the! upper and lower levels be-1 cause he ended up on the; lower level, where there was) water.

“1 was conscious throughout and I think it was about 15 minutes after the cave-in that I could hear my friends talking. They knew 1 was there and began working to get me freed. It took 10 hours.

“1 was able to help them plan how to free me. They had to cut timber through with saws they had on hand. The saws got blunted and my mates worked so hard and long their hands began to swell,” he said. “The air line was still operating and we certainly had plenty of water. 1 think, once they got the shaft down to us from above, we could have lived in there for a eouple of months, if this had been necessary," he said. “The chaps had to work like demons to get me freed because the water was creeping up all the time. 1 was ter-; ribly cold and 1 was worried about an infection getting into my leg. which 1 could feel was smashed Light Stayed On “When they finally got me out they set to work to get Bill Gilheaney out. He had been on the upper level, but in the dark all the time. I had a bit of light filtering through and this was my salvation. We have to thank our superb electricians—having the light was just wonderful.” Mr Neely said that once contact had been made with the surface through the small shaft he knew it was only a matter of time before th< men were rescued. He said the trapped men ; were in excellent spirits; throughout. “There wasn't a single moment of panic. Only I one thing upset us," he said, I “We could have done without the news broadcasts that were coming down the air shaft on the extension speaker. It really wasn't what was bap pening down below and it upset the boys a bit.” Mr William Gilheaney, a 27-year-old Irishman, said the hours he was trapped were the longest in his life. He lay for 30 hours in darkness, with his head out of the rubble., his legs pinned by heavy beams and. eventually, with one hand free. “I was working on the upper level.” he said. “We: heard the cave-in start, and! could see it. Mr Neely called; out to us to run back from: the portal. I think my three, mates hesitated a bit and they ( got caught. I ran but the rubble caught me and I wasj unconscious, but 1 don’t know, for how long. “I could hear Murray; Hemopo (the shift boss) and; the other boys talking to; Hughie and I knew that my I turn would come later. I; just had to stick it out.” Mr Gilheaney said he was: in pain throughout. “The weight of the timber on my legs was bad.” he said.