Life For His Sou

Manawatu Times, Volume 60, Issue 231, 1 October 1935, Page 10

Life For His Sou

A" COLON-EL’S SACRIFICE How a colonel had a fatal heart attack while rescuing his son, who had got out of his depth while bathing, was described at the Bognor inquest on Lieutenant-Colonel John English, aged 54, quartermaster of the Middlesex Regiment, Mill Hill, London, says the Daily Express, Mrs Mary Eileen English told the coroner that she, her husband, and their two boys went to Bognor for the day. While the boys were playing ball in the water she heard a shout and saw them in difficulties,

Mr Christopher Gray, a bathing-hut proprietor, explained that on hearing a shout he rushed down to the water, and, 1 with his brother, pushed out a boat. . When he got to the spot Colonel English was lying on the water, face down--1 ward, and the boys were struggling. <■l thought the best plan would be ; to get the man’s head above water,” - went on Mr Gray, ‘' and passed my arm under his neck and held the strap of 1 his costume.” He got the man into the i boat, pulled in the two boys, and brought all three to the shore. Artifi*,1 eial respiration was tried in the case of'I the father, but ujithout avail, A doctor stated that he found fatty degeneration of tho heart and sclerosis, and in the sudden shock or exertion the heart would be liable to fail. The coroner recorded a verdict of ”Acci- , dental death while trying to rescue one of his sons.” added that Colonel English must be praised for his efforts, Ho also commended Mr .Gray for his rescue.

The. United States Senate recently passed a bill authorising construction of six key Army air bases to guard ■ Alaska and the frentiers cf the Panama 1 Canal nations,