A LEAP FOR LIFE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5376, 18 January 1929, Page 1

A LEAP FOR LIFE.

NARROW ESCAPE FROM DEATH.

A QUEENSTOWN INCIDENT.

The Southland “ News ” reports

that a coaching excursion to Queens-

town narrowly escaped a tragic ter-

mination on Friday, December 28, A four-horse Coach, (had made the journey to Skippers and was returning, with a party of 'six ladies on board. The conveyance reached the cpmer on Bep’s Hill, a very steep section of the road, narrow, and with a sharp bend overlooking a deep gorge on the right and with a cliff rising sharply on the left. On rounding the corner Hie coach met a touring par plying for hire from Queenstown with, a load 'of sightseers. The leading, horses of the coach took fright at the sudden- appearance of thq c ar, coming, ■unexpectedy upon them round the bend, and reared so violently that they got out of. control of thej driver. They continued their, course in a wild fashion until within about 150 yards of the wooden bridge at the bottom of the hilt The driver of the coach, seeing it was impossibly to avoid an accident, shouted: “Jump clear for your lives.” Despite their fright they did so as quickly as they could. Only just in time, for a yard or two further on the coach suddenly lurched to the side of the road, overturned, and went hurtling down the precipice into the gully, about 200 feet dee|p at this spot.

The driver did not leap c,lear; with the rest of the passengers, but stuck to his, position in the driving seat As thq coach went over the bank he was pinned under a part of the coachwork. Although he was very badly shaken, he had a miraculous escape from being dashed to death, and it was by an extraordinary chance that he did not sustain several broken bones.

Most of the passengers wer,e little harmed apart froin bruises and fright, but one young lady was terribly shaken. She'has, returned to her home in dunqdin, and it is; feared,that she has suffered some injury to Ihyr back. The horses also escaped! death, in a remarkable manner. They went ovef, the edge of the gully with the coach, but managed to ki -k themselves free of thq traces, and scramble! back up the bank. Two of them, stampeded and ran to itheir stable in Queenstown. The others were recaptured and taken horny. .'

The taxi which, met the coach on the turn and gave rise to the accident conveyed the passengers to Queenstown.