Post by nzbc on Sept 25, 2016 23:26:54 GMT 12
A remarkable accident, in which seven men barely escaped with their lives, occured on Sunday, August 5, at the Nausori crossing of the Rewa River (says the Suva correspondent of the New Zealand Herald). Mr O. H. Honson, managing diljector of Jang Hing Loong Company, file largest Chinese merchants in Fiji, with five of his employees, arrived at the pontoon from Suva in a motor car driven by an Indian, Another car was on the pontoon ahead of them. When the pontoon reached' the other side the first oar got off, and the Indian driver started his car to follow. The man had left his gear in reverse, and without warning the car shot over the back, into 20ft of water. The gate of the, pontoon (which should have been shut)' was open. Owing to wot weather the hood was up and tho curtains fastened down. The struggle below was a fierce on© for very life. The five employees and the Indian could swim. Frantically they tore tho curtains open, even breaking part of the hood, in the mad struggle to escape. Mr Honson, who could not swim, had! a wonderful escape. He said he groped about till ho found a hole, made by his fellows, and pulled himself through. As he did so his hand came in contact with a small wooden lid. from the seat of the motor oar, and tins giving the necessary buoyancy, he gradually rose to tho surface. He was sinking again, when he was seized by native who had dived to his assistance, and was brought ashore and very soon recovered sufficiently to continue his journey. The oar was brought ashore by some 20 natives, who are expert divers. Mr Honson quite seriously said ho had been under water for 20 minutes.https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ODT19220822.2.20?query=Jang%20Hing%20Long OTAGO DAILY TIMES, ISSUE 18639, 22 AUGUST 1922