GIVEN UP FOR DEAD.

Feilding Star, Volume 4, Issue 673, 4 January 1926, Page 5

GIVEN UP FOR DEAD.

YOCNG MAN’S CLOSE CALL

SWEPT DOWN A RIVER. . 'Given up for dead by. his parents arid friends, Mr Arthur Craddock l , who disappeared while crossing the Eox river on horseback on the evening of November 28, has reappeared: 11 is'story reads like a page from fiction, says the Grey mouth Star. C raddock’s horse was found some distance down the river, and some parsels belonging' to him were discovered on tlie beach. This gave ample ground for the belief that Mr Craddock had perished, and a police search for tlie hotly began. Inspector Eeeles was advised from Westport last Tuesday that Mr Craddock had returned to cam]). He is aged 21 years, and is employed as cook at a survey camp situated at Tiromoari.L four miles beyond Barrytowii; !()n Saturday afternoon Mr ■Craddock left' camp on a pack horse ti bring in stores from Westport. In order to reach his destination he had to ford the river no fewer than 14 times.

The young man secured the stores and commenced his return journey, 'Meanwhile, however, the river Jiad risen rapidly, and at one of the crossings tlie current^ swept horse and rider away. The horse was later discovered about half a mile below the ford by a man named Price. When ho came to the surface Mr Craddock found himself freed from the grip of tlie. current and in still but deep water. He managed to .scramble on to a rock, where he spent a miserable night, cold, wet and hungry. On Sunday niorning the flood in the river dropped, and Mr Craddock regained the bank and headed for camp on foot, arriving there -exhaust'd on Sunday evening. The nows of his escape was sent to Westport- as quickly as possible.