A NATATORIAL SOMNAMBULIST.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2707, 16 November 1889, Page 5 (Supplement)

A NATATORIAL SOMNAMBULIST.

Some cxeitement was caused at the Too\vous; ferry on Saturday mornir.fr, •28th September, by the cries of a young man who was found swimming in the 'Brisbane river at the locality mentioned. From the shore a man in a boat was seen to put off from the siphon piles, which extend across the river, and after a short struggle draw the man from the river into th 3 boat and row over to the South Brisbane side. It transpires that the swimmer was a young man in a somnamIjtilio stale, if the term may be applied to one whose vagary of the mind guides him into the water. At the south side ferry house on the previous night there was a long conversation on the subject of sleepwalking and similar phenomana, and a young boatman in the employ of Mr Thompson, the, lessee, was particularly interested the subject. On Saturday n,omini.', at 5.43, the watchmen at the siphon piles, who was removing the danger lights from them, saw ths young fellow, dressed in a pyjatna suit, walk from the ferry house, enter the river, and start to f.wim across to the Toowong side. The watchman thought it was merely some early riser taking the matutinal hath, and was not particularly interested until he heard the cries for help from the swimmer, who was then in mid stream. Pulling to the rescue, he was just in tinn to grasp the young fellow as he wis sinking, and got liiin ashore little the worse for the adventure. The swimmer siys he has no recollection of the incident until he woke in the middle of the river, when he found himself considerably exhausted and very much alarmed. Through the shock and fatigue he was not able to swim further, and it may be regarded as very fortunate that assistance was immediately available. The incident affords a rather novel phase of the reversion of the mind to the ordinary occupations of life during sleep, and is well worth the inquiry of those who care to study such phenomena.—Courier.