New Zealand man washed into blowhole

Press, 7 February 1985, Page 29

New Zealand man washed into blowhole

NZPA-AAP Apia, Western Samoa Mr Philip Hereford, a New Zealander working as a forestry officer in Western Samoa, had a narrow escape several days ago after being washed into an island blowhole where he was left trapped for more than five hours. Acting as a guide a party of visiting Australians, Mr Hereford and one of the visitors, aged 18, were taking photographs of blowholes on one of the larger but more remote of islands of Western Samoa, Savaii. A big wave caught them by surprise, sweeping them into the funnel of the blowhole and into a small cave below. Mr Hereford remembers seeing the Australian, who later declined to give his name, falling down the funnel beside him. The Australian was extremely lucky. He was swept out of the cave and thrown back up on to the rocks with only a few bumps and bruises to show for his ordeal. However Mr Hereford was knocked unconscious and sucked from the blowhole cave into another larger cave nearby. When he recovered he found himself in a dark undersea cavern where the water was extremely turbulent and was throwing him against the rocks.

He was washed up onto a small ledge and crouched there in the small area between the sea and the top of the cave. He said as his eyes became accustomed to the dark he judged the cave to be about 10m in length. The waves rushing in and out of the cave caused him the most problem, he said. Not only did they cover the cave mouth but they also compressed the air in the cave causing enormous and painful pressure on his eardrums. When Mr Hereford made his first attempt to escape was washed into the back of the cave where the water was at roof level. He had been in the cave almost five hours when he made his final attempt to escape and was carried out by a big wave. When he came to the surface he was about 13m out from the cliff and could see local people waving to him. He began to swim along the coast to try to find somewhere to come ashore and was finally rescued by villagers who swam out to him with coconuts strung together for floatation. His ordeal had lasted 5% hours. Mr Hereford will return to New Zealand for a short holiday and then will return to finish his two-year contract.