IMPRISONED IN FREEZER

Greymouth Evening Star, 10 August 1936, Page 4

IMPRISONED IN FREEZER

AUCKLAND MAN’S ORDEAL

[PEB PBESS ASSOCIATION.]

AUCKLAND, August I)

Tearing his way with a meat hook through the walls of a freezer in which he was imprisoned, an employee of the Auckland Meat Company, Ltd., fought for two hours this morning before his struggles were heard and he was released. He was M. Hampton, Remuera, the only employee on duty at the company’s Wakefield Street depot, and in spite of the long period in a very low temperature he was not affected and was able to go home later.

Hampton entered the freezer, where the temperature is between 15 and 20 degrees, to read the thermometer, and he pulled the door behind him. Unfortunately the catch locked and he was unable to open it. Realising the danger of being imprisoned there for a, long period and in an effort to keep warm, Hampton immediately attacked tin? wall with a meat hook in an endeavour to break his way out. The wall of wood and compressed cork is about eight inches thick, but when Hampton had reached the outerj skin the noise was heard by a visitor to the shop and he was released. At that stage he could have freed himself] bv working for about another three-1 quarters of an hour. Suffering slightly from shock, Hampton was taken to the Auckland Hospital, but after treatment he was able to go home. He went to bed, but later got up apparently little affected by the experience.