CAUGHT IN A FORD

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21702, 18 January 1934, Page 7

CAUGHT IN A FORD

THREE CARS IN TROUBLEHORSE TEAM TO THE RESCUE Visitors to Coe's ford on the Selwyn River in Canterbury last Sunday were surprised to find tiiree cars stuck in the ford shortly after one o'clock. The weather there was perfect—not a breath of wind and hardly a clqud in the sky, says the' Press. Even the river was not much above normal and only slightly dirty. A tractor tried to draw the cars out, but it had to give up in favour of a three-liorse team which was successful. A three-seater car was the first to try the passage, but it soon stuck. Piles of heavy camping gear were then removed, and the car was towed out. On the bank it was found that the exhaust pipe had been doubled under the engine so that it was then facing straight in the direction in which the cay was pointing. This was rectified and the crossing was again tried at ?. different angle. The opposite bank was nearly reached when onca again the car stuck. Next came a closed-in car, which started off to try to save the firstcomer, only to suffer the same fate. Then a 1914 model half-ton truck went gallantly in t-o. the rescue, and also became a fixture. With the help of men recruited from all the parties, the last to stop was pulled out and then with its help the saloon car was extricated.

Then came a fresh. A tractor was summoned, but the water, which was now rising very quickly, prevented it reaching the coupe, and it was forced to retire. Great logs were now being hurled down the stream and the rescuers were in considerable danger* Ropes were used, but no connection could be obtained from the car with tho tractor.

By now the campers on the reserved ground had been warned to get away as quickly as possible. They moved none too soon, for when the main parties left there was four feet of water over the picnic site. The force of the stream was so great that the first car had had to be tied down with ropes to a post on the edge of the Hood. As the waters rose to the level of the top of the hood a team of three horses was hitched to some part of the chassis and the car extricated. All this was in brilliant sunshine and not a drop of rain fell during the day.