WHANGAREI ROBINSON CRUSOES

Northern Advocate, 8 June 1936, Page 6

WHANGAREI ROBINSON CRUSOES

BOYS EMBEDDED IN MUD CAUGHT BY RISING TIDE After their experience yesterday afternoon, two small schoolboys, aged about nine, and both pupils of the Whau Valley School, will not play at Robinson Crusoe again unless they know beforehand that there is a clear exit from their isle of romance. In learning their lesson they had a very narrow escape from drowning.

They were playing on the logs at the rear of the Whangarei Timber Company’s yards when they decided to adventure further afield, and crossed the tidal river to a small island.

In exploring the new domain they found themselves embedded in a treacherous mudflat. The little chaps struggled hard, but could not free themselves, and were drawn further in by the suction of the mud. Darkness was rapidly approaching and the peril of their predicament was added to by the rise of the tide. With the water lapping above their knees the adventurers cried lustily for help, and fortunately their efforts soon brought success. A man who was fishing from a boat nearby saw their dangerous plight, and went to their rescue. It was quite dark before the boys were extracted from the mud. Their parents, who live at the north end of the town, bad imagined that they had gone on a. walking expedition in.the direction of Whareora, and if search parties had been sent out there would have been no thought of the Town Wharf area. The lads are back at school to-day, none the worse for their exploit.