BURNED TO DEATH

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 40, 3 March 1937, Page 5

BURNED TO DEATH

Tragic Story of Survivor of Plane Crash / BRISBANE l&ny. A resoue party, working in rfpfoj, brought Mr Binstead and Mr down the mountain on etretchera tq Beandesert hospital. amving at % o'clock to-night. Both had mnch improved as the result of" the food nourishment and etdmulants paxtaken of since the arrival of the rescuera. Dr, Lawlor thought that the patiqgta should make a speedy- reoovery. M^Kn-r stead and his wife had an affecting^reunion. Mr Binstead, in the course of , an in-! terview, said: "I was sitting in the rear of the StinBon reading a 4hopk. The next minute there was a terrifio bump and I heard the crashing of trees. We were hurled atop of one another in the direction of the pilot' s eabin. I felt great heat. Apparently the plane was afire. "Mr Proud, despite a hroken leg, with great presence of mind amashed a window. I pushed him through and got through myself. We then dragged Mr Westray out, hy which time his coat was on fire. All the others wer# burned to death, As the days passed, I becam© weaker. I went to % creek at night for water, slept beside the cre^t and regained sufficient strength by the morning to get back to thf plane. I could not have gone again when Mr O'Reilly arrived. I will never forget Mr O'Reilly* and his maqve^Quq bush instinct. Nobody else conld havq found us. I shall never cease wondfering what hidden force led him to he* lieve we wer© there." Mr Proud said that he was always optimistio for, after escaping frmn burning plane wherein the lost their lives, he felt oonvinced tB% must be saved. (Other detail* appear on page seven.y