RESCUED FROM THE SURF

Evening Post, Volume CI, Issue 51, 1 March 1921, Page 7

RESCUED FROM THE SURF

(MOM OWt OWN COTRISPO!(»IHT.)

SYDNEY, 22nd February. There was a spectacular happening at Manly last wee!*, in which extraordinary skill with the surf-board was a feature.

Surf-shooting is a fascinating sport, with which comparatively few New Zealanders are familiar, although there is an eminently suitable surf at such places as Lyall Bay, New t Brighton, Thnaru, and the Ocean Beach at Dunedin. All the young and "agile on the Sydney surfing beaches " shoot the breakers"—a knack difficult to learn, but well worth while. A choice few of both sexes have learned to use the surf-board—a light piece of timber about as long and as broad as themselves —and with, this they go out and meet the furthermost breakers, climb on to them the instant before they break, and ride them right on to the beach. Some, white driving forward at lightning speed, stand upright on the rocking board. One well-known surfer actually takes his fox terrier out with him, and "comes in with the dog sitting complacently on one end of the board. The other day, at Manly, a. 12-year-old boy went into the) surf while a wild southerly was raging, and during a temporary lull,he", went too far out and got caught in a vicious undertow. la a few minutes he "was well out just'beyond the first line of breakers. He had sufficient sense to lie quiet and dog-paddle, just keeping himself afloat. The professional life-saver decided on a new stunt. Tt waa no use going out with the line; the undei-tow would probably drown anything towed in against it. So the life-saver took his board, walked along the beach north of the boy, and went boldly in. His calculation was correct—the sweeping undertow caught him and carried him out and down the beach, right on to the boy. He got to him just whnn the boy was exhausted.

The life-saver got the boy between his arms, and on to the board. Then he lay there, just floating until a big wave came along on the point of breaking. The life-saver, with a. dexterous . kick and jump launched his board on to the front of the wave, the instant before it broke. He timed it right. The breaking wave lifted the board, with the boy lying on it and the life-saver on top of the boy, shot them forward with great speed, and in n few momenta they had ridden over the undertow ami were safe -on the beach.. It was a most spectacular rescue. Everything lay'in the life-saver's skill—In hii method of holding and guiding the board.