INJURED MAN'S ORDEAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21993, 27 December 1934, Page 10

INJURED MAN'S ORDEAL

LONG WATT FOR HELP LEAP FROM BOLTING HORSE DASHED AGAINST A TREE [by telegraph —OWN correspondent] HASTINGS. Wednesday Tormented by heat and thirst and tho pain of a broken leg and dislocated shoulder, a young man, Mr. Ronald Wahl, was forced to lie out in the open for 12 hours after being thrown against a tree from a runaway horse on Sunday. The young man, who was employed on Messrs. Stratford Brothers' property at Flemington, left for a ride early on Sunday morning. He rode bareback and travelled toward the country at the back of bis employers' property. When he had gone some disstance the horse bolted and mado straight for a tree, beyond which was a sheer drop. The rider jumped off, but as he did so the horse swerved and threw him against the tree with such force that he suffered a broken thigh and dislocated shoulder.

As his employers thought he had gone to spend the day with a friend Mr. Wahl was not missed, and it was not until evening, when another young man from an adjoining property called to see him, that anxiety was felt for his safety. A search was instituted. The injured man was found at ten o'clock that night lying in a gully, where he had crawled to try to reach some shade. An ambulance and Dr. C. Raymond were summoned from Waipukurau, but it was not possible to drive right to the scene of the accident owing to the rough country.

Dr. Raymond rode about three miles on horseback to reach the man, then set his injured leg and shoulder. Before he could be moved a stretcher had to be improvised, and on this Mr. Wahl was carried across tho rough ground to where the ambulance was waiting. The journey was a difficult one, but was accomplished by a party of 12 willing helpers. who carried tho stretcher in relays.

Mr. Wahl was eventually placed in the ambulance (vnd taken to the Waipukurau Public Hospital. He is stated to be making satisfactory progress.