To Save a Life

The Gisborne Surf Life-saving Association, in its efforts to keep Gisborne beaches free from drownings, has installed a series of box lines, consisting of a semi-bouyant belt, 300 yards of line, and a reel, along the PB-EC coastline.

At present, the box lines are restricted to beaches between the Waipaoa River mouth and the Tatapouri headland, but plans are afoot to install them at swimming points all along the coast.

Situated in prominent positions atop a pole, the boxline can be easily carried down the beach to the place of the emergency.

For an explanation of their use, "Photo News" invited Waikanae S.L.S.C. club captain, and former National beltman champion, Barry McLean, and Gisborne Ladies club captain, Pat Mountford, to perform a trial run with the equipment, with Sandra Quale as patient.

Using this minimum crew of two, the boxline worked efficiently, but in the case of a real emergency, any number of savers could be well employed.

The association encourages the use of the equipment even for a lone rescuer, as in most cases assistance from the beach would be forthcoming almost immediately, to pull the rescuer and patient to shore with a minimum of delay. In the event of the line becoming useless or tangled, a safety release pin in the belt will free the rescuer.

Inside the box is a card explaining its use, and rescue breathing technique.

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A box line on display in P.B.

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Barry demonstrates how the belt is worn

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Racing down the beach to the rescue with Pat paying out the line from the box reel