SURF LIFE SAVING

Evening Star, Issue 22145, 27 September 1935, Page 16

SURF LIFE SAVING

.OTAGO ASSOCIATION’S WORK The annual report of the Otago Surf Life Saving Association to be presented at the annual meeting on Monday night, states: — The statement of the association’s finances show quite a sound credit bal- ■ ance of £ll 7s 7d, which is a decided improvement on last year’s figures. The increase in revenue'is due namely to the generous public support on the occasion of the Otago championships at St. Clair, and to the much appreciated grant, from the New Zealand Council in Wellington, being Otago’s share of the amount allotted to the • council by the Government, from the proceeds of an art union. .During the past season'three clubs— Oreti, St. Kilda, and St. Clair—affiliated’ with- the association, and gave every support to our activities. It is pleasing to; report that the St. Kilda Club hah taken a new lease of life and present indications are that the club is assured of a prosperous-and highly successful future. A life saving club has been recently formed at Knrow and is now firmly established, This club has adopted the use of the reel and line, and latest .reports state that there are four teams ready for instruction in life-saving methods. A club has also been started at Tomahawk, under the capable leadership of Mr J. - Periera, who has done yoeman service in the cause of life saving. The club has not yet become active, but we are assured that the coming season will see it operating strongly and will look forward to seeing it linked up with us.

The inter-club competitions conducted by the association during the year proved most successful, the standard of life saving throughout, being" very high, and the clubs are to be congratulated on the efficiency of their respective' teams. This season the Otago Surf championships were held ,at. St. Clair during the month of January, and can easily be voted the best exhibition of life saving: ever witnessed St. Clair. Three six-mam teams were entered—one from Oreti, and two from St. Clair—and taken all round

their work was of a very high standard. St. Clair, with their No. 1 team, were successful in retaining the shield by a very narrow margin from Oretij with St. Clair No. 2 only a few points behind the leaders. The teams’ surf relay was also won by St. Clair No. 1 for the second time, after, a sensational swim by P. E. Mathieson, who wiped out a substantial lead held by the Oreti team, and pat St. Clair ahead, which position they held to the last.

In order to create interest in saving work in the district, a four-man competition was held at Tomahawk during March, a handsome cup being presented for competition by the residents. Teams from St. Kilda aijd St. Clair took part, and a keen contest resulted in St. Clair No., 3 being placed ffratV We feel confident that this com--has, in no small manner, re-' suited in the formation of the Tomahawk Club, and we should like to see 'efforts made to hold similar competitions on other popular seaside beaches in and around Dunedin and Invercargill, with the view of forming new clubs.

:' Through the action of the St. Clair Club in competing at the New Zealand surf championships held at New Plymouth in February last, the Otago Association was represented at the national . fixture for the first time since the foundation of the New Zealand Surf Association. Though opposed to older and more experienced teams, St. Clair acquitted themselves admirably, .and more than held their own with the crack North Island clubs. Although bein" only second in their heat of the Nelson Shield contest, they were placed .third in the final of the four-man championship, only a very small margin of points separating the first three teams. It was indeed unfortunate that the severe floods experienced in the Taranaki district so devastated the Fiizroy beach where the championships were originally to have been held, that the venue had to be shifted over to the still water at Ngaraotu, where the absence of breakers seriously affected the performance of the St. Clair team. Nevertheless, the team put up a wonderful showing, and are to he congratulated on their fine performance,- special mention being made of ]>. Shanahan’s outstanding swimming in the belt, which was mainly responsible for the team’s success. We cannot let the opportunity pass without adding a word of praise to the worthy efforts of W. J. Jarvis in annexing the cream of New Zealand life-saving honours—the coveted beltman’s championship. Jarvis was also successful in winning the individual surf race, . in which event St. Clair was second in iaaffi*’'

at thq championships and the success of the St. Clair Club have helped in no. small manner to bring the Otago Surf Association to the fore, and the experience gained at New Plymouth will have a big effect upon the standard of life saving in the south. It gives much-pleasure to report that the 1936 national surf championships have been allotted to Otago, and will be held on February 23 and 24 next, with St. Clair beach the probable venue. Throughout the season the life saving clubs maintained a vigilant patrol of the beaches under their jurisdiction, and many fine rescues were, effected both by teams and individual members. Due to the generosity of the St. Clair Improvement Association and the Dunedin City Council, we received financial assistance to enable us to maintain a permanent patrol of the St. Clair Beach during the Christmas and New Year holidays. This year we also approached the St. Kilda Beach Improvement Society, pointing out the necessity of a similar patrol of the St. Kilda Beach. They were also to provide the means of maintaining a patrolman at St. Kilda for a period of several weeks, both Mr P. E. Mathieson and his successoi-j Mr C. Elliot, carrying

i effective manner. We sincerely trust i that these patrols will be always main- > tained in future years during the holi- > days. Regarding the many rescues efi fected during the past year, we have to ■ report that there were two fatalities in the surf, one man having a heart i seizure in the water at St. Clair, the j other (a non-swimmer) being drowned ' in the surf at a place halfway between St. Clair and St. Kilda.’ In the latter ! case the deceased was bathing in an isolated spot, and it -was some time before the alarm reached the life saving clubs. Rescuers were promptly on the scene, and no efforts were spared in attempts to preserve life. It is with deep regret that we have to record the death of Mr E. L. Macnssey after a brief illness. The late Mr Macassey was the first president of our association, a position which he occu- ■ pied with the honour’and respect of all until his passing. Our deepest sympathy is extended to his family in their i sad loss. It will be hard indeed to fill the vacant place left by one who did so much to give us the proud position we i hold to-day. The executive has decided 1 to preserve Mr Macassey ’a name in a i practical manner by the institution of the Macassey Memorial Cup for inter- ' plub competition, <