MARVELLOUS ESCAPE FROM DEATH

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 31, 1 November 1920, Page 4

MARVELLOUS ESCAPE FROM DEATH

WIIARE HURLED OYER CLIFF

DAM BURSTS IN A STORM

AN UNENVIABLE EXPERIENCE

By Telegrapa-B-pocial Correspondent.

Wanganui, October bO.

Pull particulars of the unenviable experience of two young nten named Mitchell and M'Bonald, during tho storm at Palea, have been received from i'atea. and tney almost read like a story out. of a book of adventure. That they escaped iK-iiUi is nothing short of miraculous. During Tuesday's heavy ruin the dam in connection with the Jfatea hydro-elec-tric scheme gave way. The two young men liad just sat (town to tea when they suddenly became aware of a largo volume of water pouring over thu roof and sides of the whare in w ! hich they wore sitting. Mitchell says that lie had a plate on his knee at thu time, and to his horror and amazement he found tho building commencing to rock, and gradually slip towards the edge of tho cliff on which the whare stood. He rushed to the window and endeavoured to escape through it, but at thai, moment tho whare must have been carried over tha «riff, for the next thing he remembers is that he was lying on the sand below with tho waves of the sea dashing over kirn. At that time lie had on a pair of pants and a shirt. As ho was sucked out to sea his pants became entangled around nis feet, making swimming impossible. Fortunately, lite next wave washed him ashore again and he lay for some time unconscious. M'Bonald, his companion, who had toppled over the cliff in the whare, and had been badly shaken and bruised, managed to scramble out, and on seeing Mitchell's apparently lifeless form dragged it above higli water. Mitchell at this time was clad only m a shirt. Shortly afterwards he regained consciousness.

The sides of the cliff are perpendicular, but an active persou can scramble up under ordinary circumstances. 'J'lie two young men, however, were badly battered, and each had lost the use of an arm, so that it was impossible for them to niako an ascent of the cliff. They had consequently to remain ou the small sandy inlet in drenching rain, with tho waves dashing over them from time to time. After some two and a half hours in this predicament, they began to lose t hope, and fully anticipated being washed out to sea. and drowned.

Suddenly they heard a shout, and on looking up saw Mr. Bason at the tup of | the cliff. He immediately told them to hang on whilst he went for a ladder, which, after a short 'hunt, he found. It was too short, however, so with the aid of somo telephone wire he managed to fasten a couple of poles to it and let himself down the cliff. On reaching the bottom ho found that before he could reach the' two 6tranded young fellows he wouid have to wade across a gigantic hole nearly Gft. deep, which the water from the burst dam had made. Not without some difficulty, he, managed to get first one, and then the other, across the waterhole, and up the cliff. On arrival at the top he lit a fire and after seeing that the young men'bad got some warmth into their bodies he went to. the nearest house, about a mile away, where ho obtained assistance and some clothing. He then brought the injured men into town. On arrival at ' Patea Hospital it was found that Mitchell's right arm was dislocated, whilst M'Donald's arm was also badly injured. The two men look upon their escape from denth as little short of. miraoulous, for the narrow strip of beach on to which the whare toppled from the side of the cliff is only a few feet square and is under water "at high tide, the waves dashing with great violence against the sides of tho cliiV. Both speak m terms of the highest praise of the work carried out by Mr. Bason in rescuing them, as he had to wade through water up to his chin to roach them. Mitchell also stated

that he would have been washed out to

seal and drowned when lying unconscious on the sand had not M'Douald, injured as he was, pulled him to. a place of safety.