GALLANTRY RECOGNISED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16498, 26 March 1917, Page 6

GALLANTRY RECOGNISED.

WRECK OF THE INDRABARAH

KING ' DEC6RATES officer. [from our own correspondent.]

-;.'. ; :y •••■.;;- -LONDON,- Fob. 13. The Bronze Medal of the Board of Trade was bestowed by His Majesty the King at Buckingham Palace this week on Mr. Alfred^Adcock, second officer of the s.s. Indrabarah, for gallantry in saving life at sea. ' '■;:' < - '.-.-'' '•

' On "May 10, 1913, the .vessel was stranded about six i miles . north ,of the Bangitikei J River, vat some distance - from the shore, and at daybreak . the lifeboat" was sent ashore"' in charge of Mr. Adcock, but when near the beach :. it capsized•in .the heavy surf. All the occupants reached the shore safely, with the exception of a passenger, who was seen to ; be in difficulties. Mr. Adcock immediately ; went to to the ; man's assistance, with a line round his body, and succeeded in reaching the drowning man. Both were hauled ashore. Three days later a seaman volunteered to swim : ; ashore with ; a line, and he jumped overboard in a heavy sea for that purpose. By; the time he reached a sandbankseparated from the beach by a deep-water channel, through which a strong current was, running—he was quite exhausted, : and let - ; : go the line. Mr. Adcock, with a line/swam out and mahaaged to get ; hold of' the seaman, and both were safely hauled :to.;: the J beach. Considerable: risk was incurred 'in rendering the ..services on account of the heavy sea and the cold. :On each occasion Mr. Adcock became unconscious after effecting the rescue, and on the second 'occasion it was feared he would not: recover. He is now chief officer' of another steamer. ■: