AN HEROIC DEED.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 1184, 13 December 1913, Page 4

AN HEROIC DEED.

BY A NEW ZEALANDER

One of the heroes of the terrible Volturno catastrophe was Mr E. J. Heighway, a seaman on board the Carmania, who was instrumental in reaching, at the risk of bis own life, a solitary Volturno passenger, brought to England by the Carmania —an Austrian named Triutepohl. Seaman Heighway is a big sturdy New Zealander, who has settled down in the English mercantile marine, and whose parents reside in Auckland, He does not boast of his exploit, and when interviewed by a newspaper representative at Fishguard, remarked: “I simply saw the chap driiting about, and I says to myself, T’m going to get that chap on board,’ aud me and my mate did it. I went down twenty feet to the surface of the water to catch him. It was a ticklish job the way the sea kept shifting him about, that was all. I daresay we were both dodging about in the water a quarter of an hour or so before we all got hauled on board,” Dr Joseph Pole, an Austrian, and several other' Carmania passengers who observed the rescue were, however, very warm in their praises of Heigbway’s pluck, aud iu token of their appreciation of his gallantry, aud that of his mate Garvey, who assisted in the rescue, the passengers raised a subscription on the spot, and collected over £wo for division between the two men.

The stories of Heighway’s rescue of the Austrian given by various eye-witnesses, differ in detail, but agree in the main incidents. It appears that, scared by an explosion on the Volturno, rriutepohl, who is a strong swimmer, determined to make a bid for safety, and, donning a lifebelt, plunged overboard into the raging sea. His swimming powers were of little value to him in that turmoil of waters, and he speedily became exhausted, but ere his senses left him, his despairing cry for help was heard on board the Carmania, towards whose bows he was helplessly drifting. A searchlight was turned on, the swimmer was seen, and a rousing cheer of encouragement rang out from the liner’s passengers and

crew. Inspired with fresh strength and courage, Triutepohl made a gallant effort to fight his way towards the ladders which the crew lowered over the sides. He reached one of them, but his hands were numbed, and his strength exhausted, and he could not catch hold. It looked as though he must drown or be dashed to death against the ship’s side, but Heighway, throwing off his heavy clothing, seized a rope, and plunged into the water after the now practically senseless Austrian. Garvey followed a few minutes later. For some time they could not get hold of the man, for the angry seas tossed him and them about like corks, aud more than once it seemed that all three would be dashed to death against the Carmania’s iron side. But finally Heighway got hold of Trintepohl and with Garvey’s assistance, managed to get the man to one of the ship’s ladders, and so safely on board, amid tremendous cheering from the passengers. Trintepohl was in a parlous condition when he gained the deck, but under prompt medical treatment soon pulled round.