Lot 3177

Description

Royal Humane Society of New Zealand, bronze medal, reverse inscribed 'Awarded To/Peter Scott Isbister/For an Act/of Bravery/30th September 1930'. Very fine.

Courtesy: John Wills, 'Zealandia's Brave' p322-323, Case Numbers 678, 679 and 680, Peter Scott Isbister, Arthur Pottinger, Laurence Johnson, bronze medals:

'Returning from a fishing trip in Cook Strait on the afternoon of Tuesday 30 September 1930, the launch 'Crescent', carrying four men, broke down and drifted helplessly in heavy seas for several hours. By saturating their clothing in benzine and burning it bit by bit, the launch crew eventually attracted the attention of fishermen at Island Bay, Wellington. Several attemps to reach the launch failed, and the vessel was eventually driven on to rocks near Owhiro Bay, Wellington, where she was smashed to pieces. The skipper, Arthur John Heberley, instead of swimming ashore to safety, stayed behind in an attempt to save Magnus Hunter, who could not swim. Both men drowned, as did James George Augustus Perano, who disappeared when the 'Crescent' broke up. The fourth fisherman, Arthur James Hodgman was cast upon a rock some distance from the shore.

Laurence Johnson, 21, Peter Isbister, 38 and Arthur Pottinger, 39, assisted in rescuing Mr Hodgman. The three men secured a rope around each other and at the risk of their lives jumped into a raging sea. Mr Isbister made several attempts to reach Hodgman and finally succeeded and held him up until his companions came to his assistance, and with the assistance of those on shore they succeeded in effecting a rescue.

With research.