CHILDREN'S ORDEAL

Evening Star, Issue 18631, 12 May 1924, Page 3

CHILDREN'S ORDEAL

DINGHY IN A SQUALL. BRAVE BIG SISTER. [Per United Press Association.] CHRISTCHURCH, May 11. A 12ft dinghy, containing five children, tho eldest of whom was >a girl of thirteen and tho youngest aged two years, the family of Mr J. Burns, chief signalman at Adderley Heads, was blown out into Lyttelton Harbor during a heavy southerly squall this morning. The children were paddling near the jetty at Little Port Cooper when tho squall caught the small boat. From tho harbor the eldest girl, Isabel, managed to row the boat into comparative shelter under Adderley Head, and dropped the anchor, which, however, commenced to drag, and Isabel dived overboard and tried to swim ashore to make a line fast to the rocks. She could not make a landing, so she swam bade to the dinghy, and with the greatest difficulty regained the boat. A heavy sea was running, and she was hanging on to the gunwale for half an hour before a big sea swept her back into the boat. The alarm was given at Lyttelton, and tho Harbor Board tug went to tho scene. At great risk the tug was manoeuvred to where the dinghy was tossing about between tho rocks and the cliff, and the children were hauled aboard. In the course of the rescue operations one of the tug’s crew was knocked overboard, but was quickly rescued. Ihe crew of the tug marvelled that such a little dinghy had lived in tho sea that was running. The children, however, appeared little the worse for their adventure.