NIGHT IN THE OPEN

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 111, 17 January 1940, Page 5

NIGHT IN THE OPEN

TWO WHAKATANE GIRLS LOST ONLY ONE CARDIGAN BETWEEN THEM

The two young Wliakatane girls, June Bennett, aged 10, of Soutar's Avenue, and Julie Scott, aged 12, of Goulstone Road, who were reported missing on Sunday night, and for whose safety fears were entertained, reached Ohope on Monday morning after the unenviable experience of spending the r.ight in the open. The girls left their homes early in the evening to view the breakers at the Heads. There they were trapped by the tide. Scrambling up the elifT-faee, they reached the top and took a bearing from the line of breakers below. They endeavoured to work their way round the valley but apparently lost direction because half an hour or so later they found themselves once more on the top of the cliff in aipproximately the same place they had left. The girls made another attempt and called for assistance but a gusty wind negatived their shouts. Deciding that to go on might prove dangerous, they huddled together under the scanty shelter of a small bush. The drain drove through this and also through the one cardigan they had for covering. Three or four hundred yards away the police were prosecuting a search for I hem. The night of adventure was not finished when they huddled together under the bush. They had chosen a sloping bank on which to vest and periodically they would have to rise and crawl back after slipping down towards a small stream. Towards morning they walked on again and eventually reached the open beach at Ohope. Neither is any the worse for her experience.