TRAMPERS MISSING

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 93, 21 April 1933, Page 8

TRAMPERS MISSING

LADY AND THREE MEN

NO NEWS SINCE SATURDAY

SEARCH ARRANGED

Some anxiety is felt for four trampers who set out from Levin to cross the Tararuas to Carterton and who have not been reported since they left Te Matawai Hut, about five hours from Levin, on their way r to the Mount Holdsworth Mountain House on 'Saturday. Tho party consists of Miss M. Williams, of AVauganui, Mr. F. Hill and Dr. AY. B. Sutch, of Palmerston North, and Mr. A. 11. O'Keefe, of Wellington.Search parties are being arranged to go out from Palmerston North and AVellington this afternoon and evening. The party was to have left To Matawai Hut early on Saturday morning for, the Mount .Holdsworth Mountain House. Since then nothing, has been heard of them. A party of members of the Tararua Tramping Club was at tho Mount Holdsworth Mountain House on Saturday night, arid' at 10 o'clock on Sunday morning, when they left, tho trampers from Levin had not shown up. It was the intention of the missing party to, leave: sonic supplies at the Mountain House and return for them on Sunday, but it is not known whether they reached Mount Holdsworth at all. From Te Matawai Hut to tho Mountain House is a big day's journey, artd the Country is very rugged, but officials of the Tararua Tramping Club stress that', at the moment there is no need for undue alarm as to the safety of the trampers, for it is possible that.they may have been held up by. bad weather or flooded rivers. They also point to the. somewhat reassuring'fact that the four trampers are missing together, which is not considered as serious as if one of the party had gone'astray. SEARCH PARTIES, y The club is making arrangements ior search parties to go out- this evening if nothing is heard from the missing trampers. A party is leaving Palmerston' North this afternoon for'the Mitre Flats, and at 6 o'clock tonighta party from tho Tararua Tramping Club is leaving AVellington for Mount Holdsworth Mountain House, uf no news is received by tomorrow another party will set out from Palmerston North for Te Matawai Hut. Two members of the Wellington Eadio Emergency Corps, equipped with, a portable transmitter and receiver, are going with the Tararua Tramping Club party tonight, and contact will be made with a number of Wellington members, including Mr. W. G. Turribull, the officer ml charge of the corps, who will be on duty at his home at 112 Tinaltori Road, all tonight. If necessary, an intermediate station will also be' set up near Kaitoko. The base station's call sign -is ZL2EW.- . , The members of the-missing partyare stated to bo-all fairly experienced trampers, but the country in which it is thought they "may. be. in difficulties isvery rugged and exposed, and it will be necessary for the, search, parties to cover a very wide ■ areq.