CAUGHT IN SLIP

Southland Times, Issue 22508, 16 February 1935, Page 4

CAUGHT IN SLIP

TWO TUATAPERE MEN 'RESCUED BY POLICE CONSTABLE CHANCE PASSING The chance passing of a police constable probably saved the lives of two residents of Tuatapere, J. Mouat and S. Kokay, when they were buried under a slip of sandstone rock while working on a contract on Haka road, near Tuatapere, yesterday morning. The accident occurred shortly after 10 o’clock and a few minutes before Constable E. S. Skipworth had passed in his car. He had barely' parked his car when he heard one of the men call for assistance and he rushed to the rescue.

No warning had been given of the impending mishap. Mouat was buried to the hips and Kokay was almost completely buried. Two pieces of rock estimated to weigh two hundredweight each were pressing on his chest. Constable Skipworth first freed Mouat by dragging back the pieces of rock with his hands, and then, with Mouat’s assistance, he dug out Kokay with a shovel.

Koyay, suffering mostly from shock as well as bruises, was removed to the Wallace Hospital at Riverton while Mouat was found to have severe bruises.

It was only by chance that Constable Skipworth happened to be, on the road, which is seldom used. It is stated that no alarm would have been felt had the two men failed to return in the evening as it would have been thought that they were staying on the job. Under ordinary circumstances the next person to pass down the road would not be due until five o’clock this evening, by which time the injured men, unable to free themselves, would have been in a very serious plight if a worse fate had not overtaken them.