REFUGE IN A TREE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19028, 27 May 1925, Page 12

REFUGE IN A TREE.

BOATING PARTY'S PERIL. DINGHY UPSET IN FLOOD. A LONG WAIT FOR RESCUE. [BY TKLEGIUrH.—-OWN COnnESI'ONDENT. ] HAMILTON. Tuesdaj. An unenviable experience befel a party of three Hamilton residents, a man and two women, who attempted to row up tho Waikato River yesterday. Although the river was in high flood the party decided to make an attempt to reach a picnic ground at tho Narrows, a few miles from Hamilton, and by rowing up backwaters close to tho bank they managed to mako good progress until after passing the Waikato Hospital pumping station, above tho town. Here tho river was very turbulent,, and tho rowers got into difficulties and lost an oar. Tho boat immediately began to drift down stream. For a short timo tho occupants were ablo to maintain somo sort of steerage by means of tho remaining oar, but an eddy caught tho boat and turned it broadside on to tho current. The boat was swept against some overhanging willows, and to these the man was ablo to assist tho women just as tho boat capsized and sack. Tho man himself was thrown into the water and had great difficulty in clinging to the willow branches. Ho was in an almost exhausted stato whon ho finally succeeded in dragging himself into tho tree. Tho position of the trio on tho treo was precarious. The willow was young and the branches bent and creaked ominously with every movement. Owing to tho height of tho river tho neardst dry land was some 20ft. away. Cries for help were raised, but wero not heard for over an hour. A woman in a cottage on a hill some distance from the river then caught tho alarm, and hastened to tho pumping station. A search by the attendants soon disclosed the predicament of tho party and a small dinghy was procured with a view to taking the people off. It was decided, however, that the boat could not stand the current and would meet tho same fate as tho other one. The Hamilton police were communicated with, and a motorlaunch was despatched to the scene. Tho three people were taken from the tree in a considerably exhausted condition after having spent three hours in their precarious refuge. When tho cries for help brought no response the man offered to try and reach the shore, but tho women considered that in his exhausted condition it would prove fatal, and would not allow him to mako tho attempt.