N.Z. SWIMMER

Grey River Argus, 7 August 1925, Page 6

N.Z. SWIMMER

In the Channel A GAME FIGHT. FREYBERG BEATEN BY A WIND. (The “Times”). (■Received August 6 at' 7.50 p.m.) LONDON, Aug. 5. Colonel Freyberg was taken out of the water against his will. He strove with might and main in an effort foa whole hour to bridge the final gap through a turbulent, raging sea, but the ebbing tide flowed too strongly, and carried him rapidly north, away nom the sh re. z. Freyberg declared that he would wait afloat for four hours till the title turned, but eventually he yielded to the entreaties of his wife and his two small children, aboard a tug. A “Times” correspondent, who was on board the tug says: “Using the old English side stroke, Freyberg swam str..ugly till he neared the vicinity of the Goodwins, when a strong wind raised a heavy, choppy sea, reducing his strokes from 19 per minute to three per minute. The wind lasted for three hours, and it proved his undoing, aft, soon after, the tide turned against him. lie continued to strive heroically to make headway against the- current. There was a thrilling incident, when Freyberg was three miles from Dover. He cast off his costume, wearing only a slip. The spectators were astonished at the number of wounds that were revealed on his arms, legs and back. A number of non-coms, and former men of the Army Service Corps, swam beside Freyberg for company.