Mishap Throws Dance Into Confusion

Chronicle (Levin), 8 November 1948, Page 7

Mishap Throws Dance Into Confusion

V ' ^ . AUCKLAND, Nov. 7. Apparently electrocuted by tlie fit- ' tiilgs".of his electric guitar, a young orehe&tra .player at a dance at Henderspn on Saturday higlit, .recovered after •a 'ieiigthy'peridd of unconsciousness and latdr in tke evening resuined his seat ainpng tlie orch.estTa. He was Donald Jack Rieliards, aged :2i^ v:'1' ' . ' /'H^"/;'recbvery m'hTked th.e' end oi f riiltie *eff oi-ts^ VHIl'H - liroug'lit to tke seeiie two policenien, a , doctor from Kumeu, an.minbul'ance. . from Auckland •and oflicers of -tke Waitemata Electric ,PQw;ef .Board, complete witk oxygen equipindnt. " Tke : in;ident occurred at tke Returned Services' Association HAll at HepdersOif. wkere a dance was •being keld -by tke Waitemata Rugby Football Club. . Mt.. Rickards was oue of an ofckestra of four and early in , tke- -eveniug ke was kandling an ampli fier 'for kis 'electrie "guitar wken ke-re-ceiyed a severe skock. Tke ampliiiei was connected witk tke general powei ■supply and ke was fortunate in being tkrown clear. However, as ke seemed to skow no signs of life, telepkoue calls wefe made for assistance. C011 Stable Norton, of Henderson, arrived a-nd found iirst aid being applied and a few minutes later tke man recovered consciousness. However, ke kept re2iapsing into unconsciousness altkougk skowing progressive signs of recovery, Dr. Harris, of Kumeu, tken arrived closely followed by an ambulance suranioned from Auckland but by tlus time, aliuost an kour after tke accident, Mr, Rickards w.as sitting up pale but recovered.: Altkougk advised to go home ke insisted on staying - at tke dance wkiek ka'd - been -delayed and tkrown into coiHusion. , Later in tke evening ke joined kis colleagues in tke band but piayed witliout any electrieal access'ofies.