EXCITING FISHING EXCURSION.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1017, 5 January 1911, Page 4

EXCITING FISHING EXCURSION.

: $ PLUCK AND PRESENCE OF MIND.

'i'By Telegraph.—Special Correspondent.) Auckland, January 4. Two residents of Waihi, W. Moran and E. Edwards, had a narrow escape from drowning opposite Jlatakana Island during the holidays. Two of a party of four who put out to the island in a small sailing boat were landed, and the other!! (Moran and Edwards), headed the craft for Ivauri Point, where they intended doing some fishing. When off tho point the throat of the boom came away from the mast, and the sail blowing out at the peak caused the boat to capsize, the occupants being thrown into the water.

Almost immediately the boat sank, but Moran, with commendablo presence of mind, made a temporary .raft out of a fishboard and two . oars, and instructed Edwards, who was unable to swim, to cling to it. The latter followed instructions, and Moran, who was a strong swimmer, struck out for the island, pushing tho* raft and his companion with one arm. A strong ebb tide and heavy sea made progress slow and difficult, and the raft was carried past the point for which Moran was making. They were gradually drifting towards tho channel current which runs over the bar and out to sea, when fortunately their cries for assistance were heard by their comrades (Richards and O'Brien) on the island, who hurried into the water and seized tho Tatt and these clinging to it just as it was being swept past. .The rescue was effected just in time, .as both men were in a thoroughly exhausted state. But for Moran's presence of mind and resource, which led to his construction of the raft when tho boat sank, Edwards would undoubtedly have lost his'life.