Old news from Armidale and New England

Saturday 13 January 1940, The Advertiser (Adelaide)

Nurse Follows But Nearly Drowns

BOTH RESCUED BY YOUTH

SYDNEY, January 12.

A youth of 18 dived fully clothed into the Apsley River late this afternoon to rescue a girl and a six-month-old baby who were in danger of drowning. He brought them both safely to the shore. The youth was Cedric Lofberg, 18, of Walcha. the baby was Arthur Timothy Fenwicke, son of a Walcha grazier, and the girl was his nursemaid, Miss Irene Chandler, 18. The maid was wheeling a perambulator containing the baby along Derby street, Walcha, when a bicycle ridden by a 10-year-old boy swerved to avoid a motor car and knocked her down. The unattended perambulator ran 20 feet down an incline and plunged into 24 feet of water. Miss Chandler jumped into the water to save the child, but was quickly in difficulties herself. Lofberg first rescued the baby. The child was still in the perambulator, which was floating, but was practically submerged and had tilted on its side. The girl was struggling desperately and was drifting into deep water when he reached her. Lofberg, who is a strong swimmer, had little difficulty in bringing her ashore.