REMARKABLE ESCAPE FROM DROWNING

Wanganui Chronicle, 24 February 1947, Page 6

REMARKABLE ESCAPE FROM DROWNING

(P.A.) Dunedin, Feb. 21. An eight-year-old girl had a remarkable escape from drowning in the Molyneux River at Coal Creek this evening when she was carried for two miles down the swift flowing river. She was rescued from almost certain death by the plucky action ol* a Public Works employee.

The child, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C. Cleghorn, Coal Creek, was playing in a boat used by the men in the Public Works camp at Coal Creek when she fell into the river and was immediately swirled into midstream and carried along at a rapid rate. Her plight was seen by several Public Works men in the vicinity, and as thev raced along the bank it was seen that the girl could not swim. I With great presence of mind she was able to keep floating by fdllowing the instructions of her would-be rescuers, who told her to tread water and to keep her head up as far as possible. For two miles the grim race between life and death continued, until Mr. W. W. Blyth was able to get ahead of her. He dived into the river, and when he reached her both were at the point of exhaustion. Another Public Works man, Mr. W. Kerr, went to their assistance and got both of them to the bank. The girl’s body was blue when she was brought to the bank, but she made a quick recovery and was able to express her gratitude to those who had saved her life. She explained that, though she had no knowledge »>? swimming, she was able to 'oiicw the instructions given her and she had never lost hope that she would be rescued sooner or later.