ORDEAL ON CLIFFS.

Otaki Mail, 29 March 1939, Page 4

ORDEAL ON CLIFFS.

DISTRACTED SON'S VIGIL. SYDNEY, March in. When climbing round occansiilc cliffs near South Head at night, to fish with his 14-year-old son, Mr Cecil Wilcox slipped 20ft. from a ledge and was killed. Alone and almost distrocted with anxiety, the boy traversed perilous ledges with a lantern in search of his father, and later he and his mother spent most of the night on the same harrowing task. Dawn revealed the body, jammed between two rocks and with the head under water. A police squad, assisted by ambulance men and civilians hauled it in canvas 145 ft. to the cliff top. Two constables had gone down with ropes and the son, Robert Wilcox, watched this operation, hoping against hope that his father might still be alive. "Dad and I went down to fish off the rocks about 7.30 last night," said the boy. "We were going on top of the cliffs first of all, but Dad said it was no good up there, and wanted to get down to the rocks. We walked down Rosa Gully and there dad slipped twice. He said, 'A man is liable to go over, with these boots and this fishing-basket.'

"At first I thought it was too rough to fish there, but dad wanted to go around by the ledge. He climbed up to the ledge, about 20 feet above the rocks and water and I climbed after him. He was walking in front of me, and I had my head turned while I was guarding the lantern against the wind. Suddenly I heard his footsteps cease and I looked round, but he had vanished.

"I went along that ledge looking for him for half a mile, then I came- to a dead-end and still there was no trace of him. I was so worried I did not know what to do. I had fallen head-first into a deep pool and I was pretty cold and miserable, so I ran home and told mum. She came down with me then, and brought another lanthui.

"Together we looked everywhere for .lad, and even shone the lantern on the [dace where he was found this morning, but we di<! not see him. Then we wen: and told dad's employer, who lives near us, and he rang the police."

The police thought that Mr Wilcoi had probably been stunned and then drowned. "Walking along that ledgo with a fishing basket and heavy bouts. ho must have straightened up and hit his head on a low rock canopy over the ledge from which he fell," said the sergeant. "The only visible injuries were slight wounds on the head."

The police praised the boy for his courage in continuing with his attempts to find his father.