SURF RESCUES

Evening Star, Issue 26038, 28 February 1947, Page 5

SURF RESCUES

BUSY DAY FOR ST. CLAIR MEMBERS During last week-end senior members and ladies of the St. Clair Surf Life-saving Club made a visit to Invercargill and assisted the Oreti Club in running a carnival to raise funds for the latter club. During Saturday evening a member of the public suffered a broken arm after falling from a horse, and Miss Chris Knowles, of the St. Clair ladies’ team, a qualified St. John Ambulance member, rendered the necessary first-aid to the sufferer. On the Sunday afternoon, when marine grass near the Oreti Surf Club buildings caught fire, a call came for assistance, a strong wind having fanned the blaze to a fierce outbreak which spread at great speed. Members of the St. Clair Club assisted the Oreti members to cut a fire break through the sand-hills, the fire being stopped 100yds short of the buildings. While the senior members of the St. Clair Club were at Invercargill, a skeleton patrol team at St. Clair Beach effected three good rescues during the week-end. At about' 12.30 on Sunday two members of the public in bathing were seen to be stranded on a sand bar about 50yds from the shore, being unable to negotiate the strong current between them and the beach. Two St. Clair members, C. Adams and G. Anderson, proceeded immediately through the surf and assisted the two bathers back to the beach.

At 2.30 p.m. a young boy was seen to have been taken out of his depth by the seaward running current. The emergency team sprang into action immediately. Gratton O’Sullivan took to the water with the belt and returned to the beach with the boy, who was somewhat shaken by his experience. The third rescue was effected about 5 p.in., when another small boy became caught, in the rip while riding a surf plane, and was carried seaward. T. McAuliffe and D. Scofield, two club members, went to the assistance of the lad, but were forced to return for a belt. Gratton O’Sullivan again entered the water with the belt, assisted by the emergency team, and landed the boy safely. Several surf planes which had drifted out to sea during the afternoon were also recovered.