The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-12-11 00:00:00

RESCUE FROM DROWNING.

The Gibraltar Chronicle of the 10th ult. contains the
particulars of a boat accident which occurred in the
bay on the previous Sunday afternoon. After a con-
siderable fall of the barometer, with an easterly wind.
rain began to fall early in the afternoon, and was
followed by a succession of violent storms. This con-
tinued far into the night, the fall of rain being regis-
tered as- one and a-half inch during the twenty-four
hours. The easterly wind, increasing in violence,
was blowing very hard on Monday morning, and
a number of vessels took shelter in the bay,
steamers riding at double anchor and long cables.
"On Sunday afternoon some officers were sailing
in the bay in the yawl Arid, belonging to the
officers of the 93rd Sutherland Highlanders, and were
unable to get her back to her moorings off the New
Mole before dark. Shortly after six o'clock an attempt
was being made to tow the yacht up against a strong
tide which was setting into the bay by means of the
dingy, in which were Mr. J. Campbell and Private
Buchanan, 93rd Sutherland Highlanders. The Arid
was at the time down the bay inside the outer line
of hulks • it was quite dark, and the storm which had
been gathering all day was just breaking over the
Lock. While the boat was already towing, a sudden
puff filled the yacht's sails and surged her ahead, the
strain of the towrope pulling the dingy's stern
under and filling her with water without a moment's
warning. Its occupants were precipitated into the
water, and both the yacht and boat drifted
rapidly away from them. Up to this time
Mr. F. Aitken, 93rd Sutherland Highlanders, had
been at the helm of the Arid, but, seeing what
had happened, he put it hard over, so as to threw the
vessel up in the wind, and without an instant's hesita-
tion he jumped overboard as he was to the assistance
of his comrade. In the meantime Mr. A Middleton,
93rd Sutherland Highlandefs, rapidly divested himself
of his clothes, and, seizing a lifebuoy, followed with
but little delay. Mr. Campbell and Buchanan had
struck out for the vessel, but the tide was strong
against them and Mr. Campbell soon became ex-
hausted. When reached by Mr. Aitken he was just
sinking, and was actually seized by him under water.
By the time Mr. Middleton arrived he was himself
exhausted, and, Mr. Campbell still continuing to
struggle, all three were for a time in a most perilous
position, the whole of them sinking beneath the
water more than once, together with the buoy.
Happily, Mr. R. Orde, 2nd Battalion Rifle Brigade,
was also on board the Arid, and, acting with great
judgment, he let go the anchor as soon as possible,
and then, seeing that alone he could be of no assist-
ance, he swam out to the dingy, which was floating
full of water some forty yards off, and managed to
push her down about the same distance to the spot
where the three were struggling in the water. Mr.
Campbell having been got to hold on to the gunwale
of the boat, she was then hauled in to the Ai jet by
the towrope, which, luckily had remained attached to
her; and Mr. Campbell, now totally 'unconscious,
was got on board. It was only then that Mr. Aitken
was heard calling out, and it was seen that in place
of coming in with the boat he had remain,ed float-
ing with the life-buoy. Steps were at once taken
to rescue him. Mr. Orde and Buchanan proceeding in
search of him in the dingy partially emptied for
the occasion and he was picked up in a very
exhausted condition about 250 yaris from the yacht,
after having been in the water for at least twenty
minutes. After being taken on board Mr. Campbell
soon recovered consciousness, and about half an hour
later the yacht was boarded by Captain S. Buckle,
colonial engineer, who had come out in search of her
from the New Mole on board the steam launch. There
is no doubt that but for Mr. Aitken's prompt and
gallant assistance Mr. Campbell would have been
drowned, and it is more than probable that Mr. Aitken
would have been unable to effect his rescue without
the courageous help afforded by Mr. Middleton, while
Mr. Orde, by means of his coorjudgment, was enabled
to bring them all help at a most critical moment."