GALLANT RESCUE.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1845, 21 January 1880, Page 3

GALLANT RESCUE.

■An Auckland paper furnishes the following account of the rescue by a lad of a lady from drowning. The youth, Walter Pyne, was at one time a pupil at the Lincoln road school, Ohristchurch, and was taught the art of swimming in the baths connected with tho school. A private letter from Auckland Btates that a substantial testimonial is about to be presented to young Pyne. The following is the account of the rescue:—A narrow escape from drowning occurred on January sth at Mount St. Mary, Ponsonby. A number of ladies were bathing on the beach, the tide being full in at the time, when one of their number in attempting to dive was carried beyond her depth, and, being unable to swim.she began to struggle violently. •Attracted by the cries of the drowning woman's companions, a young lady (Miss Creddis) who was near at hand hastened to the scene and, without waiting even to take off her shoes, jumped in to the rescue. She reached the exhausted bather, and, catohing her by the hand, endeavoured to draw her nearer the shore, where a footing might be obtained ; but the effort proved futile, for the half unconscious woman grasped her wouldbe rescuer convulsively round the waist, and, as a natural result, both sank. At this stage, when both lives were in imminent peril, a lad of fifteen years, named Walter Pyne, made his appearanoe, and pluckily plunged in to the assistance of the females. He caught hold of the half drowned woman, and swam with her to the shore, while the young lady relieved of her burden followed, partly by treading the water and partly by attempts at swimming. Her conduct is the more commendable and courageous, from the fact that she could not awim and yet held on tenaciously and at the great danger of her own life to the sinking woman, who otherwise would have drifted out to sea and perished long before the lad arrived. The boy's conduct was also gallant and worthy of recognition. The rescued bather remained in a state of insensibility for at least three hours, but the energetic and unremitting means adopted for her resuscitation ultimately proved successful. She has not yet, however, fully recovered from the effects of her prolonged immersion.