NEW ZEALAND HERO.

Hokitika Guardian, 6 April 1923, Page 4

NEW ZEALAND HERO .

ALBERT MEDAL AWARDED. | ! ON DON, F.*h. tf i The following i- Hie olticial de-erip- \ t.ii u anp'mring in ( ho ' 'London j Ze;. lander : ■ It is anno'.tme! that the King has i 1,,- -n j J.:’; i -., •■ 1 to award the Albert j Medal to Air blucles Chapman, of j lluaran. in recognition el his gallantry I in saving life. "In the early hour- of March -7. It'.’’!, great destruction was caused by i ;l seven* lied whirl] swept through j il’c Bapai'oa A’alb y. Ail immeii.-e | ecbime of water descended (tom tia upp.-r valley, where for lades the ; cour-a : ' ; i!.■ lorrcnt v. a amrkad by ! :i la I - * I d: ■ - . 1ie,1," an! I :■ I - were ;

“Chapman, on receiving nows of tho disaster, put on a bathing costume and at once set out for the Pnpnroa Township, to Slid that the river which runs through the township had bycome a raging torrent, the water reaching almost to the top rail of the bridge spanning the river. Two men one of whim could not swim't were clinging to limber in the middle of the river, while a crowd of terror-stricken people looked on helplessly from the hank. "His first act was to rescue these men. This he did—twice swimming out to them—hut only after very strenuous ellort-. lie then heard that a woman and her child were in danger higher up the river, and went to their assistance, lie found the woman clinging to a tree ami swam cut to her; hut to cli'erl a rescue he had to return lor a plank. A wooden ini m was available, and this he indeavuuiod to tow out to the woman and child. Tho rope broke, hut his seeond effort, when a length of fencing wire had been procured, was successful, an 1 lie brought first the child, then the mother to the hank.'’