NARROW ESCAPE FROM DROWNING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 6956, 4 March 1884, Page 5

NARROW ESCAPE FROM DROWNING.

A fireiiAn named Thomas King, belonging to the s.s. Ruapehu, accidentally fell over the Queen-street Whart, on the west side, last night, between twelve and half-past twelve. The cries of the m»n was heard by B. Williams, waterman, who had only a few minutes before brought our shippiug reporter ashore from the mail steamship Zealandia, and he at once ran to the man's assistance. Meanwhile one of the policemen, Constable Kearney, who had also heard thtcries, secured the lifebuoy at the watermen's house, and, with Williams, threw it to the struggling man. He managed to grasp the buoy, but, unfortunately, tha line attached to it being rotten, broke, aod the fellow drifted away under the wharf to the other side, alongside the ketch Opotiki, when Williams, and another man from ' the cutter Lancashire Lass, were just in time to seize him as he was sink ing, being drawn uuder the ketch by tbi suction of the ebb X The almost drowned man was conveyer .u to the wharf and from there to the watchhouse. It is a fortunatething that there were people about to hear the fellow's cries, otherwise there is littledoubt but that he would have been drowned, [n connection with this matter it is surpris ing that the ropes attached to the life buoyf on the wharf are not periodically inspected and tested, to see that they are fit for dut> whenever required. King, when taken to the lock-up by Constables Kearney and Kelso could give no account as to how he got into the water, or how long he had been there Be stated that he had fallen oil Tiritiri light house into the sea, and been cruising around the beach. After some trouble the police got hia wet clothes oS in the cell and wrapped him up in blankets.