MAZING ESCAPE FROM DEATH

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 79, 20 April 1937, Page 4

MAZING ESCAPE FROM DEATH

Maii Van Falls 150 Feei Into Creek STEERING FAILS ON BEND GISBORNE, This Day, Trapped in the driver'g carriage of the north-boimd maii truck on its way from Gisborne to Taneatua, two men, Mr Douglas Hammond. married, of Palmerston road, Gisborne, and Mr Brian Ogg, relieving school teacher at Wairata, had an amazing escape from death when the vehicle left the road on a hend a mile and a-half from Wairata at 1,30 yesterday morning and sojnersaultjsd 150ft, into the hed of the creek helow. Mr Hammond escaped with a few minor scratches and slight cuts on the head, but Mr Ogg is in the Opotiki Hospital suffering from injuries to his legs, The truck, which is operated by the Auckland - Gisborne Transport, Ltd* would not take the bond. when about to turn a dangerous twist in the road in Waioeka Valley. Mr Hammond states that he twisted the steering gear, but the wheels went straight on and th# ' next second the vehicle was hurling down to the creek below. ' "The van turned over five .or six times on the way down," said Mr Hammond when interviewed last evening, "The TYhole thing is still like a nightmare to me and I cannot say what happened. The amazing part of it is that the van lan(Led on its wheels and in a clear patch in a creek about 4ft, deep. On either side were great boulders and we would have been smashed to bits had we struck them, No, I was not tired driying. I had a good sleep in the afternoon, We wero not speeding but travelling at the usual rate. The van should haye taken th©curve, but for some reason, failed to do so." When the vehicle crashed to the bottom of the valley Messrs Hammond and Ogg were thrown o'ut and the mails were strewn everywhere. The water was icy cold. Mr Ogg's legs were injured but he struggled through the water as best he could with the assistance of Mr Hammond. The latter left Mr Ogg on a dry patch and set out for help. It took him about an hour to climb the steep side up to the road and when he reached the top he was practically exhausteil. Footsore and weary he eventuaUy staggered to a telephone about 4 a.m. and from Wairata put a call through to Gisborne. The police and othere wer# notified and a reBef van set out to reseue Mr Ogg. Suffering from cold and, shoek, Mr Ogg, who is a young man, was in a pretty bad way when assistance reached • him. The descent into the creek was very difficult and 160ft. of xope was used to bring him up to the surface. A sliug was made out of a mail-bag, tli# bag being wrapped around him CQ th©f it would take the strain. The mai! was saved intact, Mr Ogg had been travelling by motor-cycle and had only a few miles to go to Wairata when engine trouble developed. Seeing his plight Mr Hammond pulled up and offered to give him a lift, which Mr Ogg accepted. t. Inquiries made at the Opotiki Hospital late last night revealed that Mr Ogg's condition was satisfactory.