BOYS' BRAVERY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21149, 17 July 1943, Page 2

BOYS' BRAVERY

DROWNING LAD SAVED

SUPPORTED IN ROUGH SEA

HUMANE SOCIETY AWARD

(P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH, July 17. The award of the Royal Humane Society certificate to a boy 14 years of age for rescuing another lad in difficulty in a rough sea at Pohara Beach, Takaka, Nelson, was made at a meeting of the society held at Dominion headquarters yesterday. Entering a very rough sea _on January 10. when the tide was rapidly running out, Brian Vernon Robertson waded out to the assistance in lan William Foskett, aged 10 years. Foskett was dashed against some rocks two chains from the shore by , waves which were breaking over his rescuer's head and clung to Robertson’s neck, endangering both of them. Robertson supported the younger lad until their plight was noticed by a man on the beach who went to their assistance and brought Foskett in on his back. “But ' for Robertson's assistance.’ says the report of the awards committee of the society, “Foskett would in all probability have been drowned.” It was decided at the meeting to. sent letters of commendation to Miss Barbara Brookfield, of Takapuna, Auckland and to Mrs. G. Taylor, of Bluff.

Miss Brookfield, sports mistress at St. Ann’s Preparatory School for Girls. Takapuna, supported a pupil caught in a strong undercurrent while swimming off Takapuna Beach on March 8." The girl, Janet Holmes, struggling with the, mistress Sfid clutching her round the neck, made it difficult for Miss Brookfield to swim and it was 20 minutes before she could get the child into a boat which had come to their assistance.

“A plucky action,” was the comtnept of one of the members of the society on Mrs. Taylor’s rescue of a. boy, Kenneth Barron, on January 23 off the beach at Bluff. Mrs. Taylor, herself unable to swim, waded out to the lad who was in difficulties near a dangerous deep channel and dragged him on to the .beach. W’hile artificial respiration was being applied to the rescued boy, she herself fainted from shock. . .