NARROW ESCAPE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10606, 31 October 1912, Page 3

NARROW ESCAPE.

TWO CHILDREN IN HEATHCOTE RIVER. FATHER'S PLUCKY RESCUE. Two little five-year-eld children, Willie Oliver and Grace Davidson bad the .narrowest escape from drowning this morning in the Heathcote River, where it runs deep and dirty, with slippery banks, at the rear of the Woolston tannery, and just a fow yards from the railway station. That they were not drowned was duo to tbe unhesitating action of Robert Davidson, stationmaster at Woolston, W. Sullivan, porter, and. ono or two of tho tannery hands. Just as the ten o'clock train to Lyttelton waa leaving the Woolston station, Mrs who was at the back of tbe stationmastcr's house, heard the little boy's cry from the river. She ran across the road, and saw two little heads disapiiearing under water. At once .she colled her husband, and he dived into the river with everything on except bis coat. The stream was cjuito deep, and fairly wide, and Mr Davidson, weighed down by his boots and clothes, found it not too easy to swim. He grabbed tho first child, not knowing at the time that it was his own little girl, and swam ashoro. He was then fairly exhausted, and uneqiial to making a return trip, but Mr Sullivan, and others had unmoored a boat upstream, and with a grappling hook brought the boy to the surface. Both children were greatly exhausted, but they wore soon dried and tucked securely in bed, and by midday were only a little pick, due perhaps to tho swal-, lowing of some dirty river water. Mr Davidson had a complete change- nnd resumed duty. Ho had not been into deep water for twenty-five years, and his experience was far from enviable. Tbe children's escajie was wonderful. If Mrs Davidson had not heard tho cry tho children would have been drowned for a certainty, for few persons pass in the vicinity, while tho river bank is lined with willows. Mr and Mrs Davidson have had an anxious time with their family of six, of which tbe little girl is the youngest. Their house is in u- triangle, bounded on ono side by an unrenced railway line, and. on tlio two other sides by two creeks, which join the river just across the road. At high water both creeks are dangerous to children, and the river is a. constant menace. The two children slipped out apparently through a live hedge. A minute before they bad been playing in the yard together. i Mr IT. A. Owen rendered first aid to tbe children. i