FAMILY'S SAD FATE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21398, 24 January 1933, Page 9

FAMILY'S SAD FATE

five members perish three tied to a tree ii FATHER'S SWIM FOR HELP SINKS WITH INFANT SON By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright (Received January 23, 11.55 p.m.) SYDNEY, Jan. 23 During a terrific storm which lashed the coast of New South Wales from 2 o'clock until dawn to-day seven people ivere drowned and others were gallantly rescued. Flood waters rushed on to the valley in Stanwell Park, a famous surfbathing island resort near Sydney, and overwhelmed a number of camping parties. The dead include a. father, mother and three children and two brothers of another family, namely: Mr. Vincent Davis, aged 40; Mrs. Davis, aged 38; Vincent Davis, aged 13; Leslie Davis, aged nine; Clifford Davis, aged two; Jack Phyllis, aged 12; and Allen Phyllis, aged eight. Following upon torrential rain the beach lagoon near which the tents had been erected overflowed. Some of the campers fought their way up a steep hill to seek shelter at the railway station. Mr. Davis' Desperate Expedients The Davis family and the Phyllis brothers were left marooned. Suddenly their tent was blown down. Mr. Davis then used a rope which formed part of ythe tent i'asttnings to tie his family by their wrists to a tree. The two Phyllis boys, whose camp had been washed away, sought shelter with the Davises and Mr. Davis also tied them to the rest of the party. Then, strapping his baby Clifford to his shoulders, Mr. Davis plunged into the Abater in an attempt to reach the land 50 yards away and thus secure help. Neither hf> nor the. baby was seen again. // Girl's Miraculous Escape The force of the water was so great that the rope holding the other members of the family to the tree snapped and they >vere swept toward the sea. The rop'S around the wrist of a fourth child, Laurel Davis, became entangled in the fallen trefe, and this saved her life. /Gordon Thompson, aged 17, made five attempts to swim "through the boiling torrent before he finally dragged the giil ashore. The camping ground on the island in the meanwhile had become completely submerged. The body of Mrs. Davis has been recovered and two others have been seen in the surf. Sleepers' Beds Awash Reports indicate that the results of last m'gl t's rain are the most serious for years. Hundreds of homes were flooded in Waterloo, Alexandria and neighbouring 6uburbs of Sydney. P;oplc awoke to find their beds almost awash. A cyclonic gal© added to the miseries o.i the situation. .. A number of large shop windows near the.. Central Railway Station, Sydney, wens broken, tram services were delayed o,n many lines by accumulated water on low lying spots, the railway services were interrupted on the Southern and Illawarra lines, the latter being badly affected for 15 io 20 miles. The Congee and Kensington ovals were turned into lakes, the water- entering neighbouring houses. The Nepean River rose 14 feet at Penrith , where the water was three feet deep in the main street. Light rain is falling in Sydney to-night.