LUCKY ESCAPE

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 152, 24 December 1929, Page 10

LUCKY ESCAPE

ASPHYXIATED BY FUMES

LAUNCH PARTY'S PLIGHT

(By Telegraph.)

(Special to "The Evening Post.")

AUCKLAND, This Day

I Asphyxiated by fumes from a le^liy exhaust in his motor launch in the Whau Creek on Sunday afternoon, Mr. Prank Sanft, of Symonds street, Auckland, collapsed at the wheel, and was carried ashore in a state of unconsciousness. Another occupant of the vessel, Mrs. Snowden, of Eata street, New Lynn, was also overcome and has not yet recovered from the effects of gas poisoning, whilst a third, a lad named Alfred Webster, fell overboard. IHe was revived by the ducking.

Describing the misadventure yesterday, Mr. Sanft said there were five people on the" launch —namely, himself, Mrs. Snowden, her two daughters, and young Webster. There was also Trixie, a Pomeranian dog, who appeared to have suffered the worst of all. "Trixie was brought into my shop to-day to be destroyed," said Mr. Sanft, who is a chemist, "but I think she has a chance of getting bette;-. She is still very sick, however."

Mr. Sanft had experienced some trouble with the exhaust of the launch | engine a few days previously, and had repacked the join, but evidently the packing had burnt out. At the mouth of the Whau Creek mechanical defects were noticed, and the owner changed places with Webster, who was in charge of the engine. "Perhaps it was a good job I did so," said Mr. Sanft, "for the fumes might have proved very serious to him. They were certainly bod enough for me, and I consider myself lucky to be up and about to-day. The exhaust fumes were evidently coming direct into my face as I stood at the wheel to drive the launch up the creek. I felt dizzy and sick,-but as the fumes are invisible there was nothing obvious to account for it. All the same, I knew there was something wrong, and I realised the best thing to do was to get tho launch to the side. I was just sufficiently conscious to steer her towards another launch belonging to Mr. Williams, and I knew he would realise there was a reason for my doing

That was what happened, and the occupants of the launch were helped ashore. Miss Dorothy Snowden, who was seated outside, was being overcome by the effects of the fumes as the launch came alongside, and she was saved from falling into the water by a passenger on Mr. Williams's boat. It was a lucky escape for all the occupants of the launch.