SINKING IN THE SAND

Taranaki Daily News, 19 May 1928, Page 15

SINKING IN THE SAND

CAR’S NARROW ESCAPE. The fascination of- watching toheroahunters unearth the buried treasure of Oreti beach nearly cost a Southland motorist his car last Sunday. Owing to the debris lying everywhere on the upper part of the beach, he drove his ear along near the water’s edge. He had not gone far when he saw a friend gathering toheroas, and the antics of the hunter proved so diverting that he decided to remain in the ear as an interested spectator. The fact that a few waves washed round the ear did not perturb him, his thoughts being concentrated on the steadily increasing heap of toheroas on his running board. It was only after ten minutes that the man in the surf saw that the car had all the time been steadily sinking. Hastily the engine was started and accelerated in an attempt to get the car free, but it would not move. Three or four men lent their assistance and the engine roared again, but the car went forward only a few inches and slid back into the deep depression. Deep depression began tb be felt by the motorist. Frantically the toheroa-hunter plied his spade to cut tracks in the sand for the wheels, and frantically the shoulders of the gallant rearguard assisted the racing engine. To the delight of all the car at last staggered forth and the sands were robbed of a victim.