STORM TRAGEDY

Grey River Argus, 6 February 1941, Page 8

STORM TRAGEDY

Boy Swept to Sea RESCUE OF COMRADES. SYDNEY January 30. A boy of nine was’ drowned when he tried to swim for help for his sister and another lad, who were trapped with him in a stormwater channel which runs into Homebush Bay, on the Parramatta River, Sydney. “Im going to try to get out for help. Ncrbody will ever find us here,” he said, and then rolled into the water, and was washed to his death by the swilling rain-swelled current. The boy, Raymond Sutherland, his sister, Gloria, aged seven, and Raymond Austin, aged 12 were crossing a narrow bridge which spans the stormwater channel when the storm broke. The children climbed down into the almost dry channel, and sought shelter under the bridge. However, so severe was the ra ’ n ~ more than 130 points fell in a' little over an hour —that within a few minutes the water in the channel became a raging torrent, and they were trapped for an hour and a quarter. „ ~ The desperate plight of the three children was discovered by a man living near the channel. He ran to the bridge, but was unable to reach them. He telephoned the police, who rushed to the scene. Constable Schmitzer tried to climb down into the swirling waters, but gave up as lie was nearly washed away. Then, with a wire cable tied about him, he was lowered down into the water and, after a' terrific struggle against the current, managed to drag to safety Raymond Austin and Gloria Sutherland. Both children were on the verge of collapse. Gloria told the police that her brother had been washed away shortly before they arrived. “I don’t know how the two kids held on,” said Constable Schmitzer. “The boy Austin showed great courage, and to him must go the credit of saving the girl’s life. They were only a few inches above the torrent, which was live feet deep.” While Ray Sutherland was being swept along the channel his father

was on his way to meet the children with their overcoats. Walking near the channel, Mr. Sutherland thought he heard his son calling him, but concluded he was mistaken and kept on. “If I had caught a glimpse of Ray I would have jumped in, although the water was running so fa'st that probably I would have been drowned also,” he said. “I hurried on to the picture theatre, and when I found the children were not there, I went back immediately. I reached the bridge under which the children had sheltered in time to see a police car drive away with Gloria and the other boy." Mr. Sutherland said that last week his wife dreamed that Ray was drowned. “She was worried all day Saturday, and sent me off with the children's coats as soon as it started to rain,” he added. Mr. Sutherland said that two years ago he saved Ray from drowning in the Nepean River, 30 miles from Sydney and the boy had fallen from a rubber float into deep water.