CAUGHT BY TIDE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 71, 10 January 1947, Page 5

CAUGHT BY TIDE

CAR AT OHIWA HEADS WOMAN’S LONG WALK After being completely submerged by two successive tides, a small Singer car, owned by Mr R. Thetford, of Hastings, was towed into Whakatane yesterday, windows and roof smashed, sides dented, guards and running boards carried away and full of sand and salt. The car was rescued from its deeply embedded position at the Ohiwa harbour entrance. Behind the accident lies a singular story which once again emphases the danger of visiting motorists driving along the eastern extremity of the beach without care--ful attention to the nature of the sand at the Ohiwa entrance. At about 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Mr and . Mrs Thetford who are on holiday in the Bay, decided to explore the eastern end of the beach and pai’ked their car on the hard sand near the northern head. They left the vehicle for a short period while they explored the inner harbour and on •their return noticed with concern that the wheels were nearly axledeep in the sand. All efforts to move the car proving abortive and with the water mounting on the incoming tide, they were forced to abandon their efforts. Holding a rope , for some two hours Mrs Thetford strove to keep the car upright in the breakers, but all to no end for the vehicle collapsed on its side and was finally buried in the surf. Leaving her husband who is an amputee of World War I. Mrs Thetford then walked some six miles along the beach back to the Ohope settlement arriving at Mr H. Brabant’s bach at 1.30 a.m. in the morning. She was then in a state of exhaustion. No time was lost in returning to Ohiwa, via the track leading to Jim’s Bach. From there a party walked to the heads and re-

turned with Mr Thetford who was likewise exhausted by his efforts at salvage. The car had settled deep in the sand and it was decided to

return next day to recover it. Yesterday, Messrs. H. Brabant •and N. J. Holden, of Hamilton, with a group of helpers from the beach settlement returned to the scene, and found the car almost completely submerged. Half a ton of sand was shovelled from inside the car before it could be eased, and it was

a long tedious job to loosen it from

tfhe sandy grip and manhandle it ,-across the spit to solid ground, -where it was quickly taken in tow. Mr and Mrs Thetford are con-

tinuing their holiday at the beach, ; and take their experience philosophically. The car we understand was not insured.