DOMINION NEWS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 50, 30 October 1913, Page 2

DOMINION NEWS.

FICHTINC FOR LIFE.

[Per Press Association.] /I;>i . l Dargaville, October 28.,

A serious tragedy was narrowly averted on Labor Day. Edward Browne, William McDowell, and Henry Mijchekon were fishing on the coast,, working nets in the siirf, and were carried out by a strong backwash into a swirling current. Mitchelson was entangled in the net, and Browne, after a desperate struggle, got ashore, exhausted, hut tried to carry out,.p, rope to Mitchelson to pull him in, but lie iwas too overcome. A young man named Albert Nield, seeing the. plight of the drowning men, at the risk-of his own life, dashed in to the rescue. With great difficulty he brought McDowell in through the surf,, apparently dead. He dashed in a second-time, and rescued Mitchelson in 'an unconscious condition. Ross, a visitor to Dargaville, riding in the neighbourhood, saw the mon in'straits and rode iri'td get Miiy eheison on his.'li6rse, but the animal 1 got away; and left him, too', 1 struggling : in the surf. lie was unaMe'to swim 1 , ' ■ljut managed to seifce the 3 ''horse, attd'' aftoV some time got to '-safety. Nurse' Bnspett, in the Vicinity, saw ' the (disaster' and 'rendered' expert served.' : She ! 'directed' the f "process 'of' resuseittiori. Mitchelson regained consciousness in half: an hour, but it was two,* hours before the work-was-effec-tiveland McDowell was brought round. At last both men were taken to'Nurse Bassett's camp and remained under her: care all night: The' 'heroism; >qf Xiel'd is highly praised, and'will pr»b-!i $$ be brought to the notice of the Humane Socfe^V : Ross also?Scted not* ly,'dnd the nurse's services- proved the real saving of the victim*