BODY IN DRAIN

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 11832, 13 January 1933, Page 2

BODY IN DRAIN

SLIDE OF OVER 30 FEET

RESCUE WITHOUT INJURY

MELBOURNE, Jan. 4

A 14-montbs-old baby, which slipped more than 30ft down a drain at Ararat recently, remained at the bottom for two hours while more than 100 men worked frantically to rescue it. The baby was eventually restored to its mother.

When her infant soil William slipped into the drain, the mother, Mrs Larkin, gave the alarm, and- there was a rush to the scene. Police and firemen hurriedly obtained axes and picks, and began frantically diging to rescue the baby. A fireman Hashed an electric torch into the drain, and was able to sec the infant, which was screaming. , For two hours, more than 100 men dug, iwhilc another 500 or 600 people watched.

The drain is used to carry away Hood waters. As soon as it leaves the ‘street level, it slope s fairly abruptly, until at its deepest point if is more than 30ft. below the road surface. The child apparently crawled to the entrance of the drain, and slid down the sloping surface. There was only a trickle of water running at the time. Using picks the rescuers broko their iway through rock until they reached the drain a few feet from the entrance. By the light- of the torch, they saw the child had slid beyond their reach. A second and deeper hole had to be dug to penetrate the drain further along. Again th e workers encountered rock. The child could still be heard screaming. When the second excavation was completed, it was agahi found that the baby had sliid further down the slope. The rescuers began oii the tldrd hole. This time it was necessary to dig 30ft. before the drain was reached. Breaking through, the ■ concrete surface of the drain, they found the baby almost below the opening they had made.