Ready to Save a Life

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On a perfect summer afternoon, with an unusually high surf running at Churchill Park beach, spectators watch as surf club members compete in six-man resuscitation race.

Gisborne beaches have an enviable record for safety. In a summer which has been noted for the number of drownings elsewhere in New Zealand, this part of the sunny East Coast has not been marred by a single fatality. The credit belongs in no small measure to Gisborne's active surf life-saving clubs, whose vigilance on the local beaches has saved many a life in danger.

On a Sunday afternoon last month an inter-club contest was held at Churchill Park beach. For once there was some real surf-great breakers coming in from the season's heaviest ocean swell made every contest an exhilarating one.

As usual, Waikanae Seniors took honours in the main event of the day, the six-man resuscitation race, with Barry McLean as beltman and R. Turnbull as patient. Wainui won the march-past, and Waikanae Juniors the beach relay.

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Surfers dashing to the rescue as contest event gears end

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Precision drill marked contest events

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Waikanae Seniors, the winners

Raging surf did not deter boys from making large entry for the surf race.

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Rushing into water helter-skelter at start of race.

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The winner by a good margin was Barry McLean, former N.Z. representative, seen racing up the beach to the finishing point.

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Patient is under water as surfers begin rescue

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Stout fellas bring him in alive—but only just

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He is dragged up the beach willy-nilly

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New artificial respiration method is known as the greasy-pole system