Seaman Wilfred Kehoe.

Hokitika Guardian, 9 June 1922, Page 4

Seaman Wilfred Kehoe.

“AN HONOUR' TO HIS COUNTRY.” AUCKLAND, .June 7. A New Zealander who docs honour to his country is Seaman Wilfred Kohoe. of tlie Kaln.-t. who risked iiis life in securing a line limited n-liore from the Wiltshire by a ha! eh-eover. Kehoo, •who is not yet 25, is studying for his officer's ticket. I uteri iewed at the hospital. where he is a patient for pneumonia. he was pressed to speak about his experiences on Great- Harrier Island. Kohoe at once embarked uroii what was almost an oration about Mr Bowling, chief officer of the Kntoa. leader of the party fr.no that shin. Mr Bowling, he said, was in a great mciism - , .- mi* I- for 11 J a " !! '° Wiltshire's men. and d>-s--r-. cd more praise that had been given to him. was net <llO only o : w of the p-ot;, to take a eliam-e,” lie said. “I ho MiLshire had been trying to float lilies ashore for some time, and though they did not seem to be coming our wav. w • tried to ser-utv every piece cl driftwo'd

in the vicinity in on r it might ha’c a line attached to it. All the others were nearly swamped by ilie high seas before l!;e hatch was swept in. The reason 1 mod - a dash for it was simply that ! happened to bo the m-ar -si t—i! »t the time. All the others would have d- no exactly the same if they had been the

nearest.’' it cneears Ihat lie' Kohoe dash'd out ever two rocks- when the bnlrb cam • close. All 111- l-COII-mllel 0(1 i- : uti the rope free with in- '-mle. ami y 'h i, grasped in ore hand o-nipin-- be- ; ‘ - the -croud ro.-k v.-th '.bat h-01-e-i 1 h>a wall of w ater !" v- rie - over i-iili. “If it, had got- me on the firs, a- . |„, sa id. “I would have boon gone, for the breakers were slim-bin > the timber to match". od. 1 got I • Dm second rock hi time however, mu -e* ; had broken before it. km" h“d me "V or. ! seemed to go down beiweeti ’-wo ro i ■ and then was lifted olf again. That was nil that happened.” , Kclmo expects to have the hospital to-morrow. ,