CHILD’S TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE

Hokitika Guardian, 30 January 1930, Page 3

CHILD’S TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE

4 :, • ; SEARCH PARTIES OUT ALL ' NTGHT. • - _ . R.C dv , BLENHEIM, January, 27. The little granddaughter of Mr. :A. Birlcetfj>. of- Lings Road, Blenheim, bad a terrible, experience last evening. Shor-iWai lost in- the bush near Tophouseiall;.night(•,but was recovered this morning safe and sound. - . ; Therdhfant; Thelma.M’Gaa, Who will, bo;; three years old next April, is a daughter ...of Mr and Mrs Arthur MlCaa,;n# Murchison. .Yesterday Mr> Birkett wand his -Jamil jp : set* ; out y fffom Blenheim towards Tqphioiise, while the M’Caa family: ileft Murchison ,at about the same time. The two parties met at. the. foot of the, Tophouee Hill, some, fpur miles on the | Blenheim r side -of Tophonse. , Here Lr.they picnicked in a pretty piece of; I bush on the banka of a while [ the children of both parties spent; an enjoyable, hour or two wandering 1 round about. At ,1 p.m. it was discovered that the little girl Thelma, was missing, and the party , sit. once scattered and began . a principal, attention being devoted To the stream. As the hours wore, op, however, and no trace could be found, of her, the relatives grew anxious,: and a car was sent to Tophouse, /whence assistance was. summoned from Murchison. The Murchi-, sah, residents responded: promptly, and before ,“(lark four carloads of-, searchers were. oii ; the seen©. ■ Qtliers, arrived at; intervalsi all night, ..and at -four o’clock' thisn^dfiwng:'some;• fifty people were bush. • Daylight camo without any, result .' from the search, but at 5.46 a.m., Mr M:’.Caa ,^sen, r , v.tJje, -cliild’s , grandfather, who had arrived at 3 a.m., found the youngster crying bitterly, in a little clearing about a mile off the road. She was .quite well and has apparently suffered;• not-ilLeffects from her ordeal. It is presumed that she must have slept most of the time. The night, fortunately, ,was mild. The youngster had wandered .over a little ridge into an adjoining valley, in which no search Was made,until this morning, it being thought .impossible that she could be so far afie}<J, ... ••••