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Rescue Drama
NIGHT
OF
TERROR
SYDNEY. Saturday. —
Wading and swimming
more than 200 yards
through swirling waters of
the overflowing Toongab-
bic Creek. Toongabbie,
near Barramatta. early
today, two men res
cued a woman and her
three young children alter
a night of terror.
With 6ft. of water pour
ing through the house, the
woman, waist deep, was
standing on a double bed,
holding a single bed. on
top of -a cot, ; in which
wore the children.
The woman Is Mrs Helen
Dacey, her children Rob
ert. 4. Arthur, 2, and
Lloyd. 12 months, and one
of her rescuers was her
husband, Eric Dacey.
Plight of the Dacey
family was first discov
ered at 3.30 a.m. when a
I cattle dog. Bluey, owned
by Mr Ernest .Johnston,
caretnker of a nearby saw
mill, woke his master by
barking and scratching.
' WAS EERIE
He and n rescue party
headed by Inspector Ryan,
of Parramatta. arrived at
4 a.m. Just as Mr Dacey
appeared after a two-mile
walk homo from night
work at Pentle Hill.
On the bank of the
creek the small two-
ronmcd weather - board
home, half submerged, and
with a light showing, pre
sented an eerie spectacle.
In the dBi'k, with torren
tial rain falling, and flood-
waters swirling at about
five knots across more
than 200 yards, police
could make no headway.
However. Daccy and
Stewart, knowing the creek
course, waded and finally
swam the last 26 yards to
the house.
Dacey smashed In a win
dow. swam In and handed
out his family to Stewart,
who In turn waded away
to the sawmill.
BOBBY'S BEEP
Seated weeping before a
fire of a neighbor's home.
Mrs Dacey said. "I woke
at midnight to And water
rising around my bed. I
couldn't get out, the creek
was up so I put a cot on
top of the double bed, and
put the babies in It.
"The water kept rising
and I had to put a single
bed on top of the cot.
"I don't know how I held
out. Bobble kept me go
ing by repeating 'every
thing's alrlcht. mummy,
daddy wlll bc home soon
with some chocolates.'
"T was lust trying to tie
blankets to the rafters to
make hammocks as a last
resort when Dad swam In
to the room. He was lust
in time. T couldn't have
hung on another five min
utes."
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