SENSATIONAL ESCAPE

Evening Post, Volume XCIII, Issue 128, 30 May 1917, Page 3

SENSATIONAL ESCAPE

FROM TRAGIC DEATH.

(*I TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.)

HAMILTON, 29th May. ' A sensational escape from tragic death took place the other day at Ngarua'wahia, on the banks of the Waipa River. It appears that Messrs. Easte, Death, and Bellingham. of Hamilton, were proceeding to Waingaroa in a motor-car owned by A. H. Hyde. Upon reaching Ngaruawaliia.it was necessary to cross the Waipa River by means of a punt, which has been used since the collapse of the bridge. Upon approaching the punt the driver of the car called to the ferryman to put up a barrier on the punt, and the latter called out to come along. The driver then steered the car on to the punt, and applied the brakes. It was raining at the time, and upon taking the punt the car skidded towards the othei end. The punt immediately sloped down wards, and the car shot over the end into twenty feet of water, carrying with it Easte and Bellingham (Death having jumped off as the car came towards tho punt). The position of the unfortunates in the car seemed to be extremely pr>%. carious, the hood being up and both inch were fully clothed, having overcoats, boots, and leggings'on. The car pink to the bottom of the river, where the inmates managed to extricate themselves and come to the surface. They wt-re then carried down stream by tha current, but eventually got ashore in a, very exhausted condition. A valuable ftog, the property of Death, which was tied in the back" of the car, was drowned.

The car was hoisted out of the river the next day, drained, and found to be none the worse for its involuntary submersion.