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Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2759, 14 March 1910, Page 7

The danger which a portion of the Newcastle beach presents to surf bathers was* again exemplified on Sunday evening. February 27, when two young women had a narrow escape from drowning. They were bathing on a small sandy stretch, near the ladies’ reserve, when one of them, Gertrude Buckley, aged 16 years, was swept off her feet by a strong undertow, and carried seaward. Her aunt, Miss ,Fran_ ccs Donnell" aged 20, seeing her niece in danger, rushed out to give assistance only to be also seized in the. (Trip of the / undertow, and rendered 'belldess. In a few minutes half a dozen men were racing across the sand to the rescue, without waiting to divest themselves of their clothes. A police constables' an artilleryman, a sailor, and two civilians' plunged into the surr. They reached the two women, die younger of whom was in the last stages of exhaustion. In the meantime the members of the Surf Club had run out V life-line and it was not long before the rescued and the rescuers were all safely ashore. At the last moment one /.■(•• Hie life-saving crew was himself "’aught in the backwash, and the hoe bad"to i K , run out again to bring- him j n Both women were unconscious, and' were nearly an hour under treatment before they recovered.