SAVED BY TELEPHONE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16210, 7 December 1926, Page 8

SAVED BY TELEPHONE

FOXTON PILOT'S GOOD FORTUNE

Tho ringing of a telepbono bell was probably the means of saving the life of Mr W. Signal, of Norbiton road, Foxfon. early on Monday morning. , Mr Signal, who is well-known in Wellington, has been acting as. pilot in. the absence of Captain Larson, and about, 3 o'clock on Monda- morning he went to the pilot station at the beach to let ( the steamer Kennedy out. Captain Stewart, of the Kennedy, got into telephone communication with Mr Signal shortly after 3 a.m., and was informed that it •was too dark to Jet the vessel out and to ring again in 20 minutes. After he bad Inula up the receiver Mr Signal went outside, and shut the door of the pilof. station, but collapsed with a heart attack.on the. steps. Ho managed to Struggle ■up the steps and into the pilot station) again, but knocked his. head and fell unconscious. After about. 20 minutes; Captain Stewart again communicated with the pilot station, and the ringing of the telephone bell partly brought Mr Signal to a realisation of his predicament. With a. great effort he managed to unhook Hie .receiver but again cob lapsed. .Meanwhile Captain Stewart could hear nothing but moans through the telephone, and lost- no time in communicating with a doctor, and together they set out for the beach, where Ihoj found' Mr Signal unconscious on the side of the pilot station hill. He was immediately removed to bis homo and treated for heart seizure, and is now on the way to good health again.