BACKWASH AT LYALL BAY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 747, 21 February 1910, Page 6

BACKWASH AT LYALL BAY.

EXCITING SCENES. •'••.a 1 . - ;. . ; THREE DATHERS IN TROUBLE.

'.-•A - scene; or scenes, very .exciting while they lasted, and hot "without danger: to life, were enacted.at Lyall Bay yesterday.; Hundreds of. were; "oh the 'beach, appearsfthai,i>iusft£efore mid-day, one rather venturesome bather caused tie spectators some anxiety, while two others also ( .,got into difficulties. r To state the damjigo .done at, once,.and as evidencing th6-nature .of tho 'undertow, it may- be mentioned, that the first-mentioned bather ...was nearly carried out to sea. The second, —ah elderly gentleman who was paddling : .in, the breakers.. at,.the .tinjt;—got out of 'his"depth, l -:"and' had-' to *b<j■'pulled -ashore ,by. rescuers,' while a. third sustained a fractured leg inj th' 6 .; surf.j'j' \/. :: Tie first caso .was that. of.. Motorman ■Thomas Finnerty,. a married- man, in the employ', of: the . City:' jTraiflYays - Department.-': Iti appears'- swimming a little .to the.: east of the corporation hathing:- and .several..;.people: • who .were' on: the beach say^'that, he.:.was.in-, clined to'go out .'too far'on more than one occasion. '- Presently,* while out among , tho rollers; . Finnerty was heard ■to call - for help:' At first those who heard.-the cry: did ..not ; realise' that; ; anyone was -in I d»nger, as a:, number :'of young .fellows were s rompipg noisily in; . the'; vicinity.! i. The .repetition of.'ithe' soon attracted j attention,'and sFihherty was thon'seen to be--floating some, disiance-'but:? setout oh: horseback, carrying -'a,, life-buoy, bat tlie rider into difficulties as soon as the;horse 1 -began'•-.'•to: swiml : ; He lost his seat, and made., slow, progress,-towards the - swimmer.; At - this . awkward stage, when the .situation' was apparently, growing l very grave, Mr. W. G.Jlorpeth; a member of the - Wellington, and' Swifts . Swimming Clubs, who.-.was'placed.in the mile handicap on Saturday; ;s\™h,. quickly.' out from '.the: beach, - and, 'assisted .in the rescue. AVheh; Finnerty. iVjs;.brought' Back', to! the sands,;' 1 - he'- -was -;ili'' an . '.'exhausted' ; condi tionj-V havingj.b'e'eh - in : .'the - water for •tiventy-;• minutes or :isoV-"Dr.:; Simpson, senior; house, surgCon'Sat'■ the, hospital, was ,at ,the. Bay; and took restorative; measures, with -the. result:,that; ; the.i.exhausfed man quickly,'.recovered;:., It ~w;as 'on thei.wholo a-narrow escape. :.'At' about the same time—ll.3o a.m';—an elderly vmah, -Charles' Packer/, of ,i Boseneathi .who, imlike tliQ swimmer, "had pursued a; : safe course, ;.and : had,been con-; -tent to remain closo ■ inshore, .lost'-'his. foothold,'; and ;was. carried ..out': by. . the :strp^ r ebb. ; .:'The'occnr'reiice was at once noticed.'; 1 .A- "chain" was. " and Packer was. brought .safely to ently 1 flone'stho .woiw.-Tor'n'hat-:had hapv '.He collapsed on the jbeach, ..however, :a;nd', reihaiii«l'!unco'ns6i6us folr some minutes. . ' . - --: v;" :, ;Ttese..two occurrences '..were lemarkable enough'- 'for one day's bathing, but -'they .were:.;!i.ot ; .all.v: It appear^,'.that ';mishap_:had,:al§o .taten place" about .half an ihou'r 'previously;' irheh Charles Harrison; a..Customs; clerk, had his leg broken below.'-the.:kne6,;'.and sustained; slight in-, jury .to one; "arm..;■ He :,was . taken .to the hospital fTO Exactly how this btit

it; appears'that lHarrisoii. was .struck, by- ii .breaker,:while ; .unaware .of its.-approach is a single man. .bf age, and he.-liveis at the.Eginont Hotel.;. • ;,. ; - .HWith- ; reg'ard.,to ;,the geaieral i.safety of Lyall sßay, ; ,.the- older :. Wellington residents pointiout,that-after ,;a. strorig'sonth-' ierly jthere isjfalways {a.'vjie9vy. backwash at'the-:Bay, .especially.' n&r 'the- middle ".of .'it, and the' betit swimmers are ;powerlesa ;against. it.-. Inshore, however, thera is no danger. It. has been' suggested that m?m'bera ".of'. ; swiniining: clubs should ■liferjavingr oorps, - that "the - City Council shouldrprovi'de 'a' SiilhberY of /lifebelts, "Danger" posts,''and,: more important still, a boat. ; S-