RESCUE IN HARBOUR

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21426, 25 February 1933, Page 10

RESCUE IN HARBOUR

GIRL'S FALL FROM FERRY SAVED BY BOY SWIMMER A girl pupil at the Bayfield School fell into the harbour from the ferry steamer Kestrel yesterday afternoon and was rescued by a boy who is swimming champion of the school. With other childrofn and their teachors they were returning from tho school excursion to Pine Island and the incident happened when the vessel was off Northcote.

Several children were playing at the chains guarding the gangway entrance amidships when a girl aged 13, Gwenda Hill, whose homo is at Westmere, lost her balance and fell overboard. As the vessel was crowded it was some time before either the crew or the teachers in charge of the excursion were aware of the mishap. As soon as it was known that the girl was in the water, a teacher, Miss I. A. Farrelly, who is swimming and life-saving instructress at the school, jumped overboard, and the ferry was stopped. By this time the girl, who was a good swimmer, was about 150 yards astern. A boat was lowered and, the ferry steamer turned back to where the girl could be seen swimming, reaching the spot a short time before the dinghy. As the steamer stopped near the girl, one of the senior pupils, Max Cleary, who is swimming champion of the school, dived overboard with the permission of the headmaster, Mr. D. Mclnness, and struck out for the girl, who was becoming exhausted. He was able to support her until the dinghy arrived, when the two were rescued. Miss Farrelly was then picked -up, and all three were taken on board the ferry. Although she was nearly exhausted when Cleary reached her, the girl soon recovered.

CHILD IN DEEP WATER PROMPT RESCUE BY GIRL [by TELEGRAPH —OWN correspondent] GISBORNE, Friday A drowning accident was narrowly averted at Tolaga Bay when a girl between two and three years of age, Bliss Brown, fell into deep water near the mouth of the Uawa River, where she was playing on the isand. The child became entangled in a rank growth of seaweed, and would have been drowned but for the prompt action of a Maori girl, Lena Tautau, who dashed to the rescue and pulled her from the water almost unconscious. The district nurse, Miss Bart-rum, was summoned and after first-aid treatment the child was removed to her homo.