DIFFICULT SURGERY

Hokitika Guardian, 22 January 1927, Page 4

DIFFICULT SURGERY

EIGHT FOR YOFTirS LIFE

'SYDNEY. Jan. 13. A surgical operation, in circumstances that must be unique, was root'iilj’y performed by leading specialists of this city on a seventeen-year-old youth who had been the victim of a shooting accident in the Burragoumg Valley. a. practically uninhabited stretch of rough country in the Blue Afmintains. Unable to remove the stricken lad from the valley, four surgeons scrambled down a rough, narrow track, and performed a serious operation in a bush but.

The accident to the youth, Allan Crago, a member of a well-known Sydney family, occurred on Boxing Day. He was shooting with three other youths when a rifle accidentally exploded. .in© bullet pierced Crago, passing through tiis kidney. One of the party was a Boy Scout with knowledge of first aid. He attempted to carry Crago on his back to the only house for miles around—the rough hush hut of a cattle breeder. The carrying hurt Crago, so bis companions improvised a rough stretcher, and carried him to the hut. , DOWN GOAT TRACK. Three doctors were summoned from Wentworth F'alls, and they had to clamber down six mites of precipitous hush track, broken and rugged, with stretcher, medical instruments, and supplies of food. A nurse and two other doctors followed a few hours later. It was seen that Crago could not be moved. Rough shelters were improvised with tarpaulins, and the doctors continued to tend him, one never leaving his side for a fortnight. Tt was then seen that to save Crago's life the operation of removing the pierced kidney must be performed. One of the lending surgeons of Afacquarie street, the home of skiVed and expensive surgeons, \\lis summoned to Wentworth Falls, and like his fellowdoctors. he was conducted down the rough six miles goat track. Once in the valley, work was begun. In the old tumbledown hut the surgeons fought for the boy’s life. It was a reward for such high human enterprise tint the operation should have been attended with success. Though the hoy is even yet too weak to travdl to the top of the valley, and will he 1 for several weeks, the daily news of | his progress is that he is recovering well. " 1 The valley where the boy is lving is known as KadumfH. and GO or 70 years ago bushrangers found the rough track down, and made it their lair. The settler in whose rough hut the operation ; was performed is the only one for miles around. He lives down there with his wife .and two hoys, the latter of whom are being educated by correspondence. They make weekly trips to Wentworth Falls to post their lessons and home exercises, and bring hack provisions. Yet all along the hanks of the creek at the foot of the valley is rich gardening eountrv. but there is no outlet except bv the rough track. They are still waiting for a road to he built which will give them access to profitable markets.'~As it is, they have to take their cattle bv la circuitous route GO miles to Camden, itself some 30 miles from Sydney. while the valley is not more than 50 miles from Sydney as the crow flies.