YOUNG BOYS RESCUED FROM SWAMP AREA

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5281, 18 December 1946, Page 5

YOUNG BOYS RESCUED FROM SWAMP AREA

GREYMOUTH, Last Night. Cries for help coming from a praetically impeiietrable stand of blackberry, gorse and ffax near Lake Ryan, in the Otira Line district, were fortunately heard hy members of the Greymouth Sketching Club late on Sunday afternoon,, and two young boys, G. Keown and C. Williams, aged about eight and ten years respectively, were reseued from a serious predicament. It appears that the boys had waded into a swarnpy, overgrown area and gradually worked their way into its interior. By late afternoon they were Iost, and, after seyeral attempts, had given up any hope of foreing their way out through the matted, eightfoot wall of undergrowth. Their cries were heard about 4.30 p.m. by members of the Sketching Club, who were working in the vientity, and after aseending a nearby hill they were able to ascertain the plight of the boys. Going to their aid was a most diffieult task, but with the boys waving a flax stick to show the men their whereabouts, a path was slowly cut through the undergrowth. Mr. J. Mxnehan, who was Called to the scene, wadecl through the mud to bring the boys out. They were unharmed but frightened, Most damage was sustained by. the rescue party, whose elothes were badly torn by brambles and covered with mud and water.