SURF TRAGEDY

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 356, 18 October 1932, Page 7

SURF TRAGEDY

HEROIC RESCUE TWO MEN SWEPT TO DEATH IN SYDNEY. TERRIBLE ORDEAL. Sydney;, October 2. Sweetheart and hrother were drowned, and a girl washed ashore at her last gasp in reseus efforts in a channel at Scarborough, South Coast, late yesterday afternoon. The tragedy — in which heroism crowded on heroism— ^started when a small boy got into difficulties far out in the channel. Three men and a girl were swimihing with him, and | none h'esitated. ' | First the girl's 16-year-old hrother' stru'ck oiit to the hoy's aid. Seeing j hiih in difficulties, his sister followed. j She too got caught in the current, | and her sweetheart raced to her aid. j The third man folowed, managed to ' reach the boy and bring him to land, i He immediately plunged back to help the others, but was unable to reach them. A lUcky wave washed the girl ashore, but the last s'een of ' the two lads, .as their bodies were swept away, was- the girl's sweetheart black in the \ face, desperately trying to support her brother ahove the current. The drowned were: Jack Stanton, 22, of Dunmore Street, Wentworthville and James Tomlinson, 16, of Smith Street, Wentworth ville. The rescu'ad were: Rita Tomlinson, Sunday j school teacher, Smith Street, who suf- [ fered immersion and sever shock, and _ Geoffrey Harper, 19, Dunmore Street, j Wentworthville, who rescued tha boy, ! whose name is not known. He was j sent to h'ospital suffering from im- ! mersion and shock. ; Under the Rev. Mr. Parrett and • five teachers, a party of 16 scholars from the Wentworthville Church of England Sunday school laft on a Torry for Scarborough, early yesterday ^ morning, and spent a liappy day in , the surf and recreation ground. ] James Tomlinson, his sister, Stanton Harper and a small boy were all ] surfing together late in the afternoon. j The boy suddenly cried out in alarm, as he was drawn into a channel near Cemetery Point, in. part of the surf ; which had always been regarded as ' safe. Tomlinson tried to swim to the lad's aid, and he, too, became a victim of the current. He could not make headway, and his sistsr pluckily swam towards him. She also got into difficulties, and Stanton swam over to her. He could do nothing against the strong current, however, and in a flash the quartette was being dragged out tO sea. Harper, unmindful of the risk, swam into the danger zone, and, going with the current, reached the side of the boy. The others were putting up great struggles for their lives, when Miss Tomlinson was caught hy a breaker and washed towards the beaeh. By a great effort, Harper got out of the channel with the lad, and, as fast as possible, swam to shore, where he handed the boy over to others, and bravely re-entered the water, but could make no headway. In the meantime, Stanton had reached his mate's side, and they remained together, until they disappeared. As Miss Tomlinson neared the beach, she saw Stanton, black in the face, supporting her hrother. Rushed for Aid. During ihie struggle a hoy had rushed for aid to the home of Mr, Atwill, facing the beaeh. Miss Atwill told the lad to run to the cliffs for help, and then raced to the beach'. • . , She found Miss Tomlinson lying in : the surf, almost unconscious, while the two drowning youths were in the , farthest line of breakers, being tossed about helplessly. Messrs. Frederick, Sydney and James Say well, Victor Phyllis and Mervyn Ross raced down the steep, rocky hill, and, fully clothed, dived into the water, in tan effort to save Stanton and Tomlinson, and to assist Harper. They swam around for some time, searching for the two youths, but were unable to find them. Taken to Hospital. Mr. Tomlinson, father of the drowned hoy, and a girl witness collapsed when the two lads disappeared, and had to be revived hy Dr. Osborne, who hurried to the beach in response to a telephone call. After artificial means of respdration had been applied to th'e rescued trio, ; Harper was rushed to the Illawara ; Distriet Hospital, and admitted, in a serious conditon, but recovered later.