A TEN MINUTES ORDEAL.

Putaruru Press, Volume IV, Issue 156, 28 October 1926, Page 4

A TEN MINUTES ORDEAL.

MAN v. MACHINE. A Farmers’ Narrow Escape. An ordeal, which lasted about ten minutes or a quarter of an hour, but which must have seemed an eternity to the man engaged in a struggle to save himself from death, took place on a Hangawera road farm one evening last week. After milking had been completed, Mr. G. V. Brooks stayed in the shed to shorten the belt which drives the pump. He was endeavouring to put the belt on and in doing so was leaning over the shafting in which his coat caught, and was wound round and round. Then commenced a struggle between the man and a 2a to 3 h.p. electric motor. Fortunately for Mr. Brooks, he was able to brace himself with one foot against a wall and the other on the ground. He was in hopes of the coat tearing, and so freeing himself, but, although it was in ribbons when he was eventually extricated, the tojfgii textile would not yield. Mr. Brooks, though not a big man, is thick set and strong, and to mi strength he owes his life. So unyielding was the coat, combined with the stubborn resistance put up by the man, that the machine stopped dead, but still there was that persistent pull. Mr. Brooks shouted for help. The house was a fair distance away, about 300 to 400 yards, .but fortunately the wincf was blowing towards the house. As Mr. Brooks was despairing of making them heard at the house, the children who were playing outside, heard the shouts and gave the Mr. Nieholis (Mr. Brooks’ partner) lost little time in getting to the shed, and freeing the unfortunate man, who was by that time almost exhausted. The skin on Mr. Brooks’ left side was all chafed off, while his shoulder is still sore due to the heavy strain made by his coat, but otherwise he was uninjured. Occasionally farmers get their clothes caught in the shafts or belting of their millring plants; in fact, Mr. Nieholis has been caught a few times in this machine, but seldom has there, been such a fight for life as that put up by Mr. Brooks.