Donald Polson had a narrow escape in the February floods. Photo/Bevan Conley
Donald Polson had a narrow escape in the February floods. Photo/Bevan Conley
Party-goers hear of remarkable rescue
Donald Polson and Blair Gibson were two of the likeliest people to perish in the 2004 floods.
They were rescued after eight hours clinging to a longjam in the swollen Mangawhero River on February 16.
Donald was alive and in good spirits last night at the "party in a paddock"to celebrate that fateful day. It was held on his and wife Liz's property at Ngaturi, ground zero in the floods, where the raging Whangaehu and Mangawhero rivers met.
A marquee hosted troops of neighbours, helpers and rural folk from the surrounding area. Beer was being passed over the bar and the lamb chops were circulating freely when the Chronicle called in.
There was a big moment at 6.15pm when important guests arrived in two helicopters, provided by Wanganui Aerowork. Rangitikei mayor Andy Watson, Wanganui mayor Annette Main and Whanganui MP Chester Borrows were aboard.
There was a hubbub of talk, as people met former and present neighbours and talked about old times.
Photo/Bevan Conley
Wanganui Aerowork pilot Charlie Anderson recalled how he saved the pair from the river.
He was in South Taranaki and got a garbled message from a truck driver about heading into the Whangaehu Valley to rescue Alistair Polson and family. When he flew over the main ridge he couldn't believe his eyes.
Mr Anderson picked up the Polsons, and then he and Alistair went to check on Alistair's brother Donald. When they got to the house Liz asked if they had seen him.
"That was eight hours after he left home in a jetboat."
The two headed downriver in the chopper. After several passes they saw a blue tarpaulin laid out near Tim Wells' place - a signal for help.
Mr Wells said he'd seen the men floating down the river at 7am.
They had fetched up on a logjam. Donald had fewer clothes and was cold. Mr Gibson cut the skin off a dead sheep to keep him warm.
The helicopter made a search downstream, and found the men. Mr Anderson said the logjam they were clinging to could have collapsed at any moment. They were able to lift them free by dangling a rope with a fence post attached to it. If the truck driver hadn't made the phone call, and if Mr Wells hadn't put the tarp out, the two men would probably have died. Mr Anderson said pilots had a saying about the holes in Swiss cheese - if they all lined up there was a problem - and there was nearly a problem that day.
What bothered Mr Polson was that he could've killed Mr Gibson.
"By asking him to come with me - because Blair couldn't swim - not that swimming would have been a great help."
The stories of trouble and recovery at the party were galore.
Donald lost 3000 lambs and got lots of new soil on the river flats. It was devoid of nitrogen, but performed well with fertiliser added.
Betty Stewart, who was farming with her late husband Ian in the Turakina Valley, said they lost hundreds of stock, there were lots of slips and it took two years to get the fences repaired.
But everyone said the community spirit was good, and continued that way.
Donna Matthews was living in Mangamahu. It was not flooded but was cut off from the world, until farmer Graham Wright started a digger and used fence posts to fill in holes at bridge approaches.
"All the farmers and anybody that was handy, they just cleared the Mangamahu School Bridge. They did it all themselves. Civil Defence wasn't there, I can tell you that," she said.
Wanganui Tramping Club members Gordon Meuli and Bob McIntyre remembered spending days digging silt out of Lourie family homes after the flood.
Station Officer Jes Sorensen remembered the way fire crews turned out to help, including one that volunteered to come up from Wellington and went to Scotts Ferry.
Photo Gallery of the 2004 floods -
Image 1 of 13: Trapped in a flat field in fast-flowing floodwaters, these sheep on a Ruatangata Rd farm had little chance of survival.
