“MISSING” AMBULANCE

Grey River Argus, 22 June 1939, Page 2

“MISSING” AMBULANCE

Located in Arthur’s Pass PATIENT’S UNENVIABLE TRIP FROM TIMARU. Great anxiety was felt yesterday as to the whereabouts and safety of a hospital ambulance conveying a young lady patient and two nurses from Timaru to Greymouth. The ambulance left Timaru at 8 o’clock yesterday morning, and was due early last evening at Greymouth. No advice of its progress en route was received by the parents of the young lady, who reside at Greymouth, and when last evening there was no sign of it putting in an appearance,. all efforts possible were made in an attempt to locate it. Radio Stations 3YA Christchurch, and 3ZR Greymouth, made announcements over the air, and the Post and Telegraph Department communicated with all possible points along the routes likely to be taken by the ambulance. It was at 7.30 o’clock last evening that all fears for their safety were allayed when the Greymouth Telephone Exchange was advised from Arthur’s Pass that the ambulance had arrived there.

The reason for the delay occasioned was not ascertainable last evening, but it is thought the more circuitous route taken via Springfield owing to the likelihood of the Lake Lyndon route not being in good enough order for the patient to travel over it, was responsible for some of the delay. It was stated last evening that the young lady, who has been ill for the past 12 months, had stood up in a remarkable manner to her particularly trying trip of over sixteen hours in the ambulance.

When the ambulance was located at Arthur’s Pass, the Canterbury Automobile Association’s patrol officer at Greymouth, Mr J. Chapman, left immediately for Otira to drive the vehicle into Greymouth, as he is thoroughly conversant with the route, and it was expected that the ambulance would reach its destination isome time after midnight last night. The ambulance did not take on the climb over the pass, but was trucked through the Otira Tunnel, and arrived at Otira at 10.30 p.m. The Automobile Association (Canterbury) and the Greymouth secretary (Mr W. F. Harley) together with Railway and Postal Department officials, spared no effort in locating the missing vehicle. The patient is a daughter of Mr A. V. Bendall, manager of Beath and Co., Ltd., Grey’mouth, who resides in Milton Road. The ambulance had not put m an appearance at Greymouth by 2 a.m. to-day. LATER. The ambulance arrived here at 2.30 a.m. .