BOY’S AWFUL ORDEAL

Manawatu Herald, Volume LI, Issue 4424, 8 March 1930, Page 2

BOY’S AWFUL ORDEAL

SUCKED INTO BATHS OUTLET.

HEAD AND SHOULDERS CAUGHT.

UNDER WATER FIVE MINUTES,

Sydney, February 28,

In a hath incident without parallel in Australia, Athos Le Gras, a schoolboy, living at Bondi, Sydney, was held under water for live minutes on Thursday, rescued after many desperate attempts, and is still alive. The incident occurred at the Bondi Baths, after the usual Thursday morning race of the Bondi Ladies’ Club. Le Gras had gone in for a swim just as the baths’ attendants opened the outlet valves to clean out the baths. Curious to see how the outlet valves operated, the foolish boy dived and swam towards them. The terrific pressure from the water rushing out and the custion at the outlet pipes drew him irresistibly into one of the openings, and before he could make a move on his own behalf, he was sucked in past iiis shoulders and firmly wedged. Miss IC'larice Kennedy, the world's champion hurdler and allround athlete, who had taken part in the races and Miss Buckle, secretary of the club, saw the boy dive in, noticed he was a long- time underwater, walked over, and could see his legs kicking frantically. As soon as they realised what had happened, both dived in and endeavoured to free him. Their eflorts were useless, the suction and pressure being too great for them. Even when one caught his legs anti the other pulled they could make no impression. Two men were called in, and they, too, tailed to shift the unfortunate boy. A rope was tied to bis leg and all four pulled on it. But the rope snapped. Again it was tied on his leg. In the meantime the baths’ manager cad succeeded in elosiug one of the outlet valves, relieving the suction to n great extent, and the second tug on the rope brought the •boy away. He was black in the face, unconscious,' and there was little sign of breathing. In addi-

■en his head and shoulders were bruised and cut by the pipe into which lie had been sucked.

A do.elor, ambulance men, and the four rescuers —all competent life-savers—worked for threequarters of an hour before they restored animation.

All the way to the hospital, resuscitation methods had to be continued, and even yet his recovery is problematical.

That he retained life at all after that period under water is extraordinary; but it is suggested that bis bead and shoulders prevented the full stream of water from passing through the outlet, and so ai ip wed him to get some air all the time.