SURF RESCUES

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 201, 18 April 1932, Page 2

SURF RESCUES

MEN SWEPT TO SEA AND BATTERBD BY HUGE WAVES. THRILLS AT MAROUBRA. SYDNEY, Sunday. In one of the most thrilling surf rescues witnessed for years, two lifesavers at Maroubra today had to swim out 700 yards ,after one had been forced to slip his belt, to save one of two men who had been swept out by the current, and battered by huge waves. About 11.45 a.m. two men were seen in difficulties nearly 600 yards out, j and when one raised his hand in dis- , tress Sid Crimson, a 22-year-old j member of the surf club, donned a belt and swam out. i After he had gone1 550 yards, the j line ran out, and Crimsoii saw the j two men separating. One, caught in another channel, was i being swept towards ,the rocks, while his mate was going still further out to sea. Crimson removed his belt and • battled on through breakers, which j hid him from the view of the watchers j on shore for about 150 yards, and j grasped the drowning man. In the meantime, Billy Nield ,aged J 18, recently promoted from the junior ! team, donned another belt, but, , caught by a current, was swept 700 yards out to sea. Then he battled his way to Crimson j and the rescued man, ,whom he reach- i ed just as his lifeline ran out. The junior lifeboat erew,, captained j by Noel Bennett, set out, and their boat was nearly swamped on a number of occasions. The second man, . meanwhile, had been washed on to the rocks and left without receiving attention, though •he had been cut about. , When the two lifesavers and the other man were hauled ashore, they were in a bad way. The rescued man, whose name is believed to be Audy, of Randwick, had to he revived by artificial means. Crimson, who said he had clear ly seen Bondi when he was out to sea, ached in every limb, and had to receive attention. Four members of the Freshwater Life Saving Club swam through the heavy sea to rescue a young man who had been carried out over 600 yards this afternoon. Lifesavers Harris, Whittaker and Riley swam through the heavy sea to the exhausted man,. and Forshall donned a belt and commepced to swim out. After he had swum 600 yards another rope had to bp attached .to the line on the reel. Forshall, with his patient, , battled against the strong eprrept for half an hour to get in. Th£n without rest he swam back to the aid df the three livesavers and assisted them ashore.