RESCUED FROM DROWNING.

Otago Witness, Issue 3804, 8 February 1927, Page 25

RESCUED FROM DROWNING.

WOMAN'S TRYING ORDEAL. CHRISTC'nURCH, February 5. From out past the breakers of a falling tide Mrs- W. H.; Nicholson, wife of .the Mayor of Sumner,was rescued. at. the Sumner beach about 11 a.m. to-day: after a thrilling adventure. She owes her-rescue to her own presence of mind in floating' until help came and to the prompt efforts of three men. Mrs Nicholson wasTiathir.von that portion of the beach which is: opposite Grafton street, a section of the. foreshore regarded by many people as the, most treacherous part of the shore because of the scoured channel caused b-; the close proximity of the rocks. Therewere Several boys bathing at the time, none of whom apparently could swim. In the outgoing tide Mrs Nicholson; .who cun swim a little, got beyond her depth; and found-that she could not regain her foothold. ■ Realising her . predicament, she called for help after a struggle and thep. proceeded to float, the current meanwhile carrying her out beyond the breakers. A boy ran to the boathouse, and the siren was sounded. Mrs Rose, of the Beach Boarding-house, summoned the lifeboat men called by the siren. Mr C. Bowman, a motor engineer, together with Mr C. Hinds, manned a dinghy and pulled out from the pier through the agitated waters of the bar.- Mr J. Browne, grocer, whose shop is within four doors of the home of Mr Nicholson, was serving ■ customers, whom he left to run to the beach on the cast side of; the cave rock. There he found several lads with the reel, the use of which was foreign to them, and no one seemed to be able to swim as they stood helplessly by watching and waiting. Fully dreßsecT, With the exception of his coat, Mr Browne proceeded into the water, but returned and went out with the lifebelt. No mean swimmer, having won a cham'pionship in days gone by’, Mr Browne reached Mrs Nicholson after she had been 'in difficulties for 20 minutes—a trying ordeal for a woman-past middle age. As Mr Browne assisted Mrs Nicholson-the dinghy approached. It was 10 yards away when the boys on the beach worked on the line, but the rescuer, encumbered by his boots and clothing, in addition to the weight of Mrs Nicholson, started to feci the strain, and he signalled to those on shore not to- drag on the line. He had to let go. The line slackened, and he reached Mrs Nicholson again. Then the dinghy reached the pair, and Mrs Nicholson was landed safely, very sick, and suffering from shock. The lifeboat also went out around the rock. Messrs Bowman and Hinds had a hard struggle back against the tide, and were drenched by the time they regained the pier. ’ sMr Nicholson, who was in Christchurch at the time, was suntmoned, find reached home about an hour after his wife was rescued. ’