FELL 81 FEET INTO RIVER

Taranaki Daily News, 21 December 1935, Page 4

FELL 81 FEET INTO RIVER

ESCAPE OF HAWERA MAN SLIP ON TANGAHOE BRIDGE WORK. VICTIM ABLE TO SWIM TO BANK. ONLY BRUISES AND BLACK EYE. To fall 81 feet into the Tangahoe River and swim to the bank afterwards was the remarkable achievement of Mr. Charles Salt, an employee on the construction work of the new bridge on the main South Road. The only ill effects of the accident were general but slight bruises and a black eye. Mr. Salt was engaged, on the scaffolding of the new concrete bridge, which is now being advanced across the river and lost his footing. He fell like a plummet from the highest part of the work at 1.30 p.m. and struck the water with a splash that shocked work mates who saw the fall. He had, however, managed to hunch up as he dropped and hit the water with his shoulders. Before the onlookers had time to rouse themselves from astounded silence to take rescue measures, Mr. Salt reappeared and clambered to the bank, up which he was able to climb. Dr. T. M. Fitzgerald was calle! and conducted a thorough examination, eventually ordering Mr. Salt to bed for rest. He could not, however, find traces of any injury apart from general bruises caused by the force of the impact, and an unexplained black eye and (general shakiness. Mr. Salt, whom his companions consider the luckiest man in New Zealand, was fortunate in that the Tangahoe River, though not wide, is comparatively deep, and was in partial flood. Nevertheless had the fall been ended by a straight dive rather than an impact, on the back the consequences would hardly have been so amazingly light.