RESCUE FROM CLIFF BASE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23945, 21 October 1939, Page 12

RESCUE FROM CLIFF BASE

GARRISON MEN’S HARD TASK INJURED WORKMAN’S FLIGHT (From Our Own Correspondent) SYDNEY. Oct. 2. Members of the garrison at North Head, at the entrance to Sydney Harbour, undertook a risky climb to rescue a man who was lying, badly injured, at the foot of a 250 ft cliff. The man, Arthur Taylor, waited in agony for four hours with a broken leg before the rescuers could raise him to the cliff top. Taylor’s job was to erect notices warning fishermen not to use the North Head military reserve for fishing purposes. Descending the cliff face on a rope, he fell part of the way down, without being hurt, was was struck by a heavy fall of rock as he tried to scramble to safety. Later he was missed, and calls from the cliff top were not answered. He was seen lying at the foot of the cliff. When military officers were called they tried to reach Taylor, who was almost unconscious. Accompanied by ambulance men. they tried to walk round the rocks, but heavy seas drove them back. The pilot steamer Captain Cook approached from the sea as close as possible, but the sea was too rough for its boat to land anyone on the rocks. A police launch also failed to effect a rescue from the seaward side. All other efforts having failed, fire brigade officers were called. By fixing a stout rope across a wide gap acd lowering a 300 ft rope down the cliff face they prepared the way for a squad of 12 garrison and militia officers and men to climb down the cliff. The rescuers put Taylor’s broken leg in splints and carried him several hundreds of yards along the rocks to the spot where the firemen had let down the rope. It was a long' and dangerous oneration to haul Taylor to the top. Then the rescuers themselves had to be rescued, and several hours passed before the task of hauling them singly up the cliff face was completed.