ROYAL HUMANE SOCIETY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3005, 18 October 1911, Page 13

ROYAL HUMANE SOCIETY.

RECOGNITION OF COURAGE. CHRISTCHURCH, October 12. At a meeting of the Court of Directors of the Royal Humane Society of New Zealand the following awards were made : '■ ■ * The silver medal was awarded to Charles A. Cowan (27) for rescuing James M'Leod (20) from drowning at Auckland on February 3, 1911. At 7 a.m. on the date mentioned MjLeod fell into the water at Manukau Heads, and was floating face downwards, when Charles Cowan, in full working clothes, dived in to his rescue between the steamer s.s. Putiki and the rock where M'Leod had disappeared . under the surface. Cowan failed in his,first attempt to secure the drowning man. He dived again under the ship, this time successfully. Cowan was thoroughly exhausted, and had to be helped up with ropes. The place where M'Leod went down .is infested, with sharks, and had it not been for the prompt rescue by Cowan the man would most likely have' perished. ' . The slilver medal was awarded to George H. Vovce (17) for rescuing Thomas H. Gardiner (9) from drowning at Lyttelton on Saturday, 22nd July, 1911, about 8.30 p.m. The night being very dark -and cold, just as the steamship Maori was leaving the wharf under way, a young lad named Gardiner fell overboard in cloße vicinity to the stern of the vessel. Almost immediately George H. Voyce divested himself of his coat and jumped overboard, caught hold of the lad, and swam with him to a pile, where he was hauled up on the wharf by onlookers. There is no doubt that the act was extremely meritorious, as the rescuer did it at the risk of his life, the propellers of the steamer being in motion, and he-practically jumped into a cauldron of boiling water. The bronze medal was awarded to Clarence C. V. Davies (21) for rescuing A. S. M'Phail (30) and John D. Connell (19) from drowning at Waingongoro beach at ab.out 11 a.m: on April 2. Some men went out to bathe, including A. L. M'Phail and John D. Connell. They -had not been in very long,- when they started to swim back, but the current being very strong, they soon got into difficulties. C. Davies, who was among the spectators on the beach, soon went into their rescue. He succeeded in getting M'Phail out safely, and then Davies attached himself to a fishing line and managed t*» reach Connell and get hold of him. Then he called out for the line to be pulled in, whieh the people on the beach did. When nearing the shore the line broke, and some of the spectators had to come to their assistance. Davies showed much promptness and. great presence of mind.

A' framed certificate was awarded to Cecil Ellison '(15) for rescuing William Curlew arid Alfred Hart from drowning at Wellington on May 14, 1911. On the date mentioned, about 6.20 p.m., three boys were capsized in a 12ft sailing scow. Curlew and Hart could not swim. . Hart scrambled up on to the boat, and Ellison assisted Curlew up alongside Hart. The boat would not stand the weight of the three boys, 'so Ellison volunteered to swim ashore for help, and had much difficulty in doing so, as he was fully dressed. He bravely fought his way in the dark to the boat harbour against a strong wind, and was picked up in a very exhausted state. The boat rid of Ellison's weight supported the other two boys until they were rescued by the Harbour Board men in a hulk boat. 6

A certificate was awarded to Albert Dent (35) for rescuing Harold Payne (6i) from drowning at the Whangarei town wharf on June 26, 1911. At 4 pim. a small boy named Harold Payne, who was fishing on the wharf, overbalanced himself and fell into the water, and being •unable' to swim, sank several times before Dent, who was near by, went to his rescue, and after much difficulty succeeded in bringing him to shore in a very exhausted and unconscious state. If not rescued at the time the lad would certainly have been drowned. A certificate was awarded to Kenneth G. B. M'Lean (12) for rescuing George Nixon (10) from drowning at Auckland •on November 30, 1910. At 4.30 p.m. George Nixon was swimming off the Devonport beach with waterwings on, and got out into deep water. The wash from a ferry steamer took his wings away from him, and he was in danger of being drowned, when Kenneth M'Lean, who was near by, plunged into the water and swam to his assistance. After much struggling and difficulty the boy M'Lean succeeded in getting George Nixon ashore, but not before they were both very exhausted. But for the promptness and presence of mind of M'Lean the little lad would certainly have been drowned.