Honour to Whom Honour is Due.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXVI, Issue 13330, 20 March 1911, Page 6

Honour to Whom Honour is Due.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—ln this morning's Chronicle there' is a report of my narrow escape from drowning at Castlecliff last Saturday, but as I find that the credit of saving my life is given to the wrong people I. desire to correct the mistake. The facts are as follows After 1 1 fell off the breakwater and had, at the advice of those wild whije also fishing'from there, caught hbld of .the fish ing lines thrown out to mo, one or two pulled me in close to the . breakwater.' In! 1 , the meantime one of the onlookers;ram to i the Siirf-bathing Club’s shed to fetch ,pi, lifebuojr> blit' it app’ears everything was;’ locked up, and he then had to return t'6' : the breakwater! i There he found;,a: lino, which he tied to a 'fishing line and let itdown to 'He. Another-man had, in the Meantime,' gone to the Freezing Works to fetch a rope. One of the men Who were loading the Thistle brought va rope and dropped it down, to me, telling me.'to tie it to the buoy. Just as I bad done this Mr Newcdmbe arrived upon the scene, andtold me to lay upon my back and that he would take me safely ashore, but as those above had climbed down to the rocks to pull me in I was only too glad to let them do so., Mr Newcombo' then returned to the beach alone. I do not doubt for one moment that Mr Newcombe and his friends gave every assistance as soon as they heard of the accident, still, had it not been for th6s© who .were dishing upon the break-. water, and the men—-strangers to mo—giving such prompt assistance, I should never have been sated. In conclusion, allow me to state that had the Castlecliff Surf-bathing ; Club had a life-buoy and rope hanging lip where anyone could get it, instead of having them under lock and. key, Those helping me could have got me out in about 10 minutes, instead of, as was the case, over half an hour elapsing before they could obtain the necessary gear. —l am, etc..

'WM. J. BEOWN. Elver View Boardinghouse.