A PAINFUL MISHAP

New Zealand Times, Volume XL, Issue 9093, 12 July 1915, Page 2

A PAINFUL MISHAP

SHIP’S CAPTAIN SUSTAINS IN JURIES TO HIS EYES.

A painful and serious accident beie! Captain Gibson, of the coastal steamer Kapuni, on Saturday evening, when. during the passage from Patea to Wei lingt-on, the flare of an illuminated life-buoy suddenly’ became ignited and blew into his face, causing some injury to both eyes. It appears that rain got into the flare, and Captain Gibson was examining it when it unexpectedly went off. Captain Gibson was immediately rendered what aid was possible, and word was conveyed yesterday morning by signal to the look-out at the Seatoun signal- station for a doctor to be in attendance. Dr Pigeon, in response, was waiting when the vessel berthed at 10.25 a.m. yesterday. The injured man was examined by Drs Pigeon and Kendall, who found that his sight was not destroyed, and that there were no particles ot phosphorus in his eyes. Thel left eya was the more inflamed, but it is believed that the trouble is not likely to he-;' come worse. Captain Gibson was con-’ veyed to Nurse Vickers’s private hospital, Brougham street. The flare is known as Holmes’s patent light for attaching to life-buoys. They are foi] use when anyone falls overboard at night time. When the flare is thrown into the sea it lights automatically through contact with water.