FLOOD INCIDENT

Hokitika Guardian, 27 December 1933, Page 6

FLOOD INCIDENT

CHINAMAN’S COURAGEOUS ACT

HIS BODY USED AS PLUG

MELBOURNE, December 26

History has been repeated in connection with the flood at Keraiig, Victoria. A Chinese gardener, emulating the little Dutch boy, threw himself into; the breach made in that portion of the bank protecting his gardens from the encroaching waters and for an hour used his body to plug the gap in the crumbling wall. The hero was Wing Hey, a jovial little Chinese market gardener, who lias worked strenuously with several other compatriots on his plot of several acres a quarter of a mile on the south side of the town. He is the admiration of all Kerang. Ceaselessly he and his men watched the flood rising among the gardens. Several creaks occurred, but, the Chinese swooped down upon them and, working feverihly, choked back the surging waters with more earth and sandbags. Wing Hey , watched the ominous rising'flood with’one eye while with the other lie surveyed the rhubarb and' Marrows that flourished just a. few yrirds away.

Suddenly Wing Hey spun around, for his ear caught the sound of trickling water and tumbling earth. Flinging himself at the gap and calling loudly to his men, lie shoved his back against the rushing water and braced himself with his feet. The other Chinese ran up with shovels. For an hour Wing Hey stopped the gap while the men shovelled earth around him and packed it Close about his waist. Then they hstdl'c’d liis aside and pushed several sandbags into the break, for the water begun To -trickle through.

Wing .Hey was a very disappointed man.