AN AWKWARD PREDICAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 221, 18 March 1914, Page 5

AN AWKWARD PREDICAMENT.

VENTURESOME BATHER BEYOND REACH OF HELP. i. By Telegraph—Press Association. Tauranga, Yesterday. An unknown man has been seen about the beach at Mount Mijiinganui for' the last few days. He was seen tp strip and go for a bathe yesterday'. Later he was seen on a rock some distance out, waving for help. A party from Tauranga, including. Constable Skinner, the harbormaster, and.other*, attempted to get outside the harbor in. a' lannch, but were forced to return owing to the heavy sea. They then at* tempted to reach the man, Who mean-' time ,had swum to Rabbit Island, In a sixteen-foot boat. ItWamped, and the occupants, who had on lifebelts, were dragged ashore on a life-line. The harbormaster anil' Captain Millar took two hours to bring round. It was then dark, and the .attempt at rescue was abandoned for the night. Further attempts are now being made. The. man is absolutely nude, and there is a heavy 'wind, rain and spa. The island is uninhabited, hut there .is good shelter, about a quarter nf a mile from the beach. NAKED, FOODLESS, AND UNKNOWN. Tauranga, Last Night. The attempt to rescue the man from Rabbit Island tovhiv was'hopeless and it has been (decided to abandon further attempts till the weather moderates, of which there is-no sign at nresent. A tremendous sea is running outside the entrance. -The man lias now been on the island fot' 30 hour= He is naked au«l without food, and he is still unidentified