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New Zealand Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5371, 3 February 1879, Page 4

NARROW ESCAPE 'FROM DROWSING Ox Saturday, at noon, a very narrow escane' from drowning was experienced bv a yoan, lady visiting at Mr. Philcox'a residence North Shore, and but for the timely and gallaut assistance rendered by the master of the cutter Teviofc, Jqo. Dowd, and oneet the crew, Wm. Ryan, it would, i n a ]j probability, have resulted fatally, ft appears that two young ladies were enjoying a swim in the newly-erected baths, near the Flagstaff Hotel, when one of them toot a dive from the post, and on rising to the surface her bathing dress got over her head and kept her down. The crew of the cutter Teviot, which was being discharged at the wharf, saw the frantic efforts of the yoang lady to disentangle her dress, and seeing that the dress was only becoming more firmly fixed around the young lady's head, Dowd ran at once to the scene, and jumped in to the resue, and tried to tsar the dress from her head. This, however, he could not do. William Ryan, seeing this, went in, and between the two she was assisted, and placed across t'ue post in au unconscious state. Here Ryan again attempted to pnll off the garment, but the tenacious grasp the young lady had upon it, mad* this work a difficult one, and he then dragged it off piecemeal, leaving portions of it in the hands of the half-drowned lady. A dingy came off, and carried the three to the beach, where brandy and other restoratives were administered, and after a short time she was conveyed to the residence of her friends. The assistance rendered the young lady by Messr3. Dowd and Ryan was most praiseworthy, and had it not been for their ready assistance she would undoubtedly have been drowned, for on finding that she could not disengage her head from the folds of lier dress, she comrnenced to swim inshore, but very speedily, uo doubt losing her presence of mind, returned to deep water, when her rescuers rushed to her assistance.