A NARROW ESCAPE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6003, 12 February 1881, Page 7

A NARROW ESCAPE.

I .... a- | The Gibraltar Chronicle of the 30th Nov. contains the particulars of a boat accident which occurred in the bay on the previous Sunday afternoon. After a considerable fall of the barometer, with an easterly wind, rain began to fall early in the afternoon, and was followed by a succession of violent storms. This continued far into the night, the fall of rain beiug registered as one and a-half inch during the 24 hours. The easterly wind, increasing in violence, was blowing very hard on Monday morning, and a number ot vessels took shelter in the bay, steamers riding at double anchor and long cables. On Sunday afternoon some officers were sailing in the bay in the yawl Ariel, belonging to the officers of the 93d Sutherland Highlanders, and were unable to get | her back to her moorings off the New Mole before dark. Shortly after 6 o'clock an attempt was being made to tow the yacht I against a strong tide which was setting into the bay by means of the dingy, in which were i Mr. J. Campbell and private Buchanan, 9ord Sutherland Highlanders. The Ariel was at the time down the bay inside the outer line of hulks ; it was quite dark, and the storm which had been gathering all day was just breaking over the Rock. While the boat was already towing, a sudden puff tilled the yacht's sails and surged her ahead, the strain of the tow-rope pulling the dingy's stern under and filling her with water without a moment's warning. Its occupants were precipitated into the water, and both the yacht and boat drifted rapidly away from them. Up to this time Mr. F. Aitken, 93rd Sutherland Highlanders, liadbcenatthc helm of the Ariel, but, seeing what had happened, lie put it hard over, so as to throw the vessel up in the wind, and without an instant's hesitation he jumped overboard as he was to the assistance of his comrade. In the meantime, Mr. A. Middleton, 93rd Sutherland Highlanders, rapidly divested himself of his clothes, and, seizing a lifebuoy, followed with but little delay. Mr. Campbell and Buchanan had struck out for the vessel, but the tide was strong against them, and Mr. Campbell soon became exhausted. When reached by Ml*. Aitken he was just sinking, and was actually seized by hirn under water. By the time Mr. Middleton arrived he was himself exhausted, and, Mr. Campbell still continuing to struggle, all three were for a time in a most perilous position, the whole of them sinking beneath the water more than once, together with the buoy. Happily, Mr. It. Orde, 2nd Battalion Rifle Brigade, was also on board the Ariel, and, acting with great judgment, he let go the anchor as soon as possible, and then, seeing that alone lie could be of no assistance, lie swam out to the dingy, which was floating full of water some 40 yards off, and managed to push her down about the same distance to the spot where the three were struggling in the water. Mr. Campbell having been got to hold on to the gunwale of the boat, she was then hauled in to the Ariel by the towrope, which luckily had remained attached to her; and Mr. Campbell, now totally unconscious, was got on board. It was only then that Mr. Aitken was heard calling out, and it was seen that in place of coming in with the boat he had remained floating with the life-buoy. Steps were at once taken to rescue him, Mr. Orde and Buchanan proceeding in search of him in the dingy, partially emptied for the occasion, and he was picked up in a very exhausted condition, about *250 yards from the yacht, after having been in the water for at least twenty minutes. After being taken on board Mr. Campbellsoon recovered consciousness, and about lialf-an-hour later the yacht was boarded by Captain S. Buckle, colonial engineer, who had come out in search of her from the New Mole on board the steam launch.