A ROUGH TRIP

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22630, 23 July 1935, Page 13

A ROUGH TRIP

GREAT BARRIER TO AUCKLAND INJURED MAN BROUGHT TO HOSPITAL (Per United Press Association) AUCKLAND, July 22. Bringing to Auckland in his launch Ocean Queen a man injured on the Great Barrier, Mr A. Blackwell experienced the worst trip of his 45 years’ experience of the gulf and the coast. Mr Blackwell left Whangapara yesterday afternoon at 4 o’clock and arrived in Auckland this morning at 11 o’clock. His passenger was W. Monaghan, an employee of the Kauri Timber Company, who, while working in the bush at the back of Whangapara on Saturday afternoon, caught his thumb in a wire and lacerated it badly. He was taken to hospital on arrival in Auckland.

As soon as the accident happened Mr Blackwell was communicated with at his home at Tryphona, where he owns a farm. The weather then, however, was too bad for him to attempt to leave t' at port, and it was not until yesterday afternoon that he was able to make Whangapara. In the meantime the injured man was made as comfortable as possible.

“ It was the worst trip I ever made,” Mr Blackwell said. “ Not only was there a gale blowing but it was hardly possible to see your hand in front of your face. We had to steer by compass. The trip that usually takes me six hours at most —and I have done it hundreds of times—took me 11 hours, and even then we had to put into shelter under Coromandel Peninsula last night.”