TRAPPED IN MUD

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24103, 23 October 1941, Page 8

TRAPPED IN MUD

GIRL'S PREDICAMENT

RESCUER'S TIMELY ARRIVAL [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION] NEW PLYMOUTH, Wednesday

Trapped in the clinging mud of a slip across the Tahora-Tangarakau road, Miss Mary Walsh, of Whangamomona, sank up to her armpits before she was rescued by Mr. M. Timmins, inspector of the permanent way for the Railway Department, who happened to pass that way half an hour afterwards. Miss Walsh was severely shaken by her ordeal, but was otherwise unhurt. She was fortunate that aid came. She set out in the morning to visit TAngara kau and travelled to the present terminus at Tahora by train. She began to walk the remaining few miles, but had not gone far when she encountered a big wet slip which had flowed across both the railway line and the road in a flood a fortnight ago. Sine? then the line has been cleared to permit the passage of works trains engaged on clearing a slip beyond Tangarakau, but the road is still deeply covered. Had M iss Walsh walked along the permanent way she would havo been in no trouble, but she tried to follow the road. She soon became firmly embedded and no efforts of her own were of any avail. It is considered by experienced railwavmen in the locality that had Mr. Timmins not made his timely arrival she would liavo perished in tiie quagmire.