PATEA NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 156, 8 December 1914, Page 2

PATEA NEWS.

LIFE-SAVING EXHIBITION. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Towards the end of last season a surf club was formed in Patea. The club has for its primary object the saving of life and the protection of surf-bathers. A life-saving reel was procured from Sydney, and teams, under the instruetorship of ilr. A. Dunkly, have been putting in practice in the surf at the beach.' With ft view to encouraging interest in tin; project, members of the Castlecliff Surf Club, who bold a record for New Zealand for saving lives, have motored to Patea at their own expense to give exhibitions. Last Saturday was the occasion of their second visit, and the following team gave a smart exhibition of rescue, and expositions of various methods of release and resuscitation: —Captain, N. F. McDowell; hou. instructor, H .W. Cooper; subject, IT. R. Jones; support, J. Coull; No. 1, A. duller; No. 2, il. H. Richardson; No. 3, F. Cower; No. 4, .J Goss; >No. a, J. F. Kcrnahan; No. 8, P. P. Wimsett. An exciting incident happened during the rescue exhibition given by the Patea team. F. Curtis, one of the team, left the rope when a good distance from shore, and started to swim to a companion. He became exhausted, and was sinking, when someone on shore noted his plight and gave the alarm. The redoubtable ••Freddy" Gower, of Wanganui, was quickly on the spot, *nd, after a gallant struggle, managed to get the exhausted swimmer to shore.

This is the second occasion on which the Castlecliff team has distinguished itself in resuce work. On the last occasion Mr. Kichardson was instrumental in saving a youth named James Carradus. The visitors were entertained at afternoon tea by the ladies of Patea, and departed for Wanganui amid the plaudits of local friends, one and all voting them good sports. Wuring the afternoon the Patea Brass Band rendered selections.