A BRAVE RESCUE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 1084, 26 October 1883, Page 4

A BRAVE RESCUE.

v !a ; thrilling: narrative is told by a ,l H6me paper respecting the gallant rescue of a child from drowning at Torquay (England) recently. It was blowing a gale, and a little girl who was playing on the cliff between Meadfoot gay.and.Daddypole Plain was blown %ye'Wind over the cliff, here about 60 feet high, and, rolling down the precipitous sides, fell into the water. The tide being in, The rocks below were covered, or the child would have been dashed to pieces. The child was seen •Iftoging,down on the waves. s Tb Save heir seemed hopeless, as the cliffs risqperpendicularly. Mr Duncan r . Cameron, ofi .-Liverpool, 'was attracted < tdthescerne; ’ Divesting "himself of his ncdaty he'dropped from the cliff into the

’*■wiveStfeloiv,' ahd reached the child, but she was snatched from his hold by an immense wave. Diving, he brought 'the surface. . Her dress gave way, and lie lost her a second lime. Diving again, he re-appeared with her. /The excitement was great, as no as.'■■sistance ■■ could be rendered. Skirting the .base of the cliff, Cameron was. seen rounding the headland and malcihg slowly and witli difficulty for Meadfoot Bay. Though a powerful swimmer, it was considered impossible that in such a wild sea and encumbered by hii clothes ahd the apparently lifeless child, he could succeed. . Discovering a narrow ledge on the rocks, he swam to it, andTaying hold of the seaweed to steady himself, he fried in vain to push the child on to it. The (loom of both, perhaps, would |b3en sealed, had not another nome leflow*—Mr Landsown, of Clifton —seeing their peril, scrambled down the face of the cliff, here not so steep, His legs were held by willing hands behind, he leaped oyer the precipice and reached low enough to grasp, hole of the c||Sd. Having no purchase, lh( joiqtjtfforts ,to raise the -girl proved a; unsuccessful!is Mi Caiheron’s endea Mr Landsown nobly held .on .jfjotwithstanding his dangerous position antT;gradually’ failing strength, iWhei despair was depicted on every counte nance, a lady (Mrs Coles, I believe rushed along with a rope/ which wa lowered, and attached to the child- b The girl being now dfawi up. aq.attempt was made,, to draw u] .but it ,• failed. Ther was a rock* o a feiv yards from wher bver which the waves. wer dashing. To it he swam, and sitting astride of jt, with his back to the waves to* the people abov as td hbw they should proceed to r« cover the child. Then divesting hiir self of his boots,. iieiphinged into, fh raring sea, and struck out for th fKe v T&J 1 tib cfear the rocks He| tHen headed’ towards ’ the shore which few thought he had alliance o a sea.... At on meraent he was seen on the crest ot; hugh wave, then buried deeply undet again appearing, again disappearing hplitevidently making* way; * After - long struggle, and a painful time for th lpokers,on, he struck .the shore, to th bf ah, and had the happi .the Instfuctionl he frqin of refuge had beei §q,,weUiPaTtied.;OUt that the. child, al ' thoogb still unccnscious; 'was breathin Giving further instructions ti k Cbrtified tiurde' ‘who happened to b on (he shore, he left the child in he .she has recovered. M Cameron is house , surgeon at thi btroad-Hospital.; ;: