RESCUERS’ PERILOUS TASK.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 52, Issue 81, 15 January 1932, Page 3

RESCUERS’ PERILOUS TASK.

ROBBINS APPARENTLY DROWNED.

FALL INTO CREEK FROM ROCK

This Day.

A graphic story of the two days’ search for the victims of the alpine tragedy at Harmon’s Pass was told by Mr F. W. Cochrane, propietor of the Glacier Hotel/ who. arrived back with the bodies of Robbins and Smith at 4.45 p.m. yesterday. On learning of the disaster from Wilson, who had come down to Bealey from the Carrington Hut, Mr Cochrane got into touch by telephone with Constable Robb at Otira and arranged to meet him on the Otira side of the Waimakariri River.

Starting the Search. Saddling a hack and two pack horses, he prepared to set out at once. He sept Wilson on ahead while he made the final preparations, getting away from the hotel at 11 a.m. on Wednesday. He met Constable Robb and the pair soon overtook Wilson, the three proceeding in company to the Carrington Hut, where they arrived at 2 p.m.

Hurriedly taking some refreshment, they set out for the Taipo-iti River and proceeded up the river-bed to Harmon’s Pass. Before reaching the river they met Sweeney, "Wilson’s camping companion, who told them that he had left Loney at the Wilberforce camp, where he had made him comfortable and instructed him not to rndve. Sweeney then proceeded to the Carrington Hut." Up the Pass. Mr Cochrane, Mr Wilson and‘Constable Robb went to the top of the pass. They were in rugged country and snow field's 1000 feet above sea level, and great risk was involved in exploring the top of the pass, the searchers haying to chop steps in the ice and occasionally negotiate crevasses. The task was made more arduous by a heavy frost, which had set in. The ice was very slippery and a torrent of water was running beneath the ic-e and snow. Sheer cliffs of rock rose for hundreds of feet round them. Such country was impossible for horses, and it had been .necessary to tether the animals at the foot of the pass, 2000 feet down. During their climb to the top the searchers were often up to their waists in swift monntain torrents, where one false step involved the danger of being swept down the stream and injured against the rocks. During the whole of then two days’ search they were never dry. Camp Found. After making a thorough investigation at the top, the party split, Constable Robb going along the top and Messrs Cochrane and Wilson investigating a track which -they found some distance down the pass. Constable Robb had not progressed very far before he found footprints in the snow, and these led him to the victims’ last camp. It- was within 400 feet of the top of the pass on a big snow field. There was food, clothing and gear in the camp, and it was evident that the members of the ill-fated party had made themselves as comfortable as possible after being overtaken by the storm. , , i , i At this stage the search had to _ be discontinued owing to the failing, light. The searchers went back to the Carrington Hut, where they arrived at 10.30 p.m. Other search parties had arrived at the hut during the niedifc until there were about 20 men packed in the small building.

The Second! Day. Dawn broke at 5 a.m. and found the parties fully organised and ready to set out. The first away were two volunteers, Messrs A. Wills and R. Chester, who undertook to push, on to the Wilberforce camp m all haste to the rescue of Loney. Chester is _ well known as a. very capable mountaineer. Ho was Die leader of the party of three Hi at- recently scales Mount Wliiteombe, the other members of the party on that occasion being Messrs Allan Milhs, son of Mr J. Willis, of No. 1, Bealey Avenue,, and IVlirams. Messrs Chester and Willis had with them at the Bealey the tent which they carried on the Whitcombe ascent, and were supplied with sufficient rations for a four or five days’ trip. The main body of the searchers, numbering about 15, formed a party to continue the search from the site

of the camp that had been found the previous evening.

At 7.30 a.m., the body of Robbins was found under a rock. It was badly bruised. Robbins had apparently fallen oyer a rock face into a creek, where lie was drowned. From the position in which the body was lying, it was apparent that it had been found by Messrs Chester and Willis and placed in a position where it would be seen by the other searchers.

After the discovery of the body, the party divided into two, Constable Robb taking one half round the top of the pass and over on the other side of the ridge, about 1500 ft higher up. A Perilous Task. Mr Cochrane’s party made a stretcher out.of flax and two poles, and brought down the body of Robbins to the point where the horses had been left. That descent with, the body was a difficult- and dangerous undertaking, and the members of the party were in danger at every step. They were constantly in and out of swift mountain torrents, and had to cross ice faces. At times the body had to lie lowered with ropes down steep rock and snow faces. It took two hours to move it to the level of the Taipo-iti River, 2000 ft below the top of the pass. Here the body was transferred to a pack-horse, and the party rested before' commencing the return journey to the Bealey Hotel. One horse was left for the other body, and the party set out for the Carrington Hut, where they awaited the arrival of Constable Robb and bis party. After the arrival of Constable Robb, the two. bodies were taken on to the hotel, where an inquest will bo held to-day.

The search parties dispersed last night,, and most of the members came on to Christchurch by motor-car.

It is expected that Loney will he brought back to the hotel to-day, provided Messrs Willis and Chester’ consider that he is fit to make the journey.

IN A DEATH-TRAP.

EFFORTS TO ESCAPE.

CHRISTCHURCH, This Day

The fatal mistake that led to the deaths of diaries Bernard Robbins and Harold Smith was in following too high a path after they had crossed the Whitehorn Pass into Canterbury. They should have descended several hundred feet to reach the saddle at the head of the Taipo-iti Gorge; instead, they kept on at a high level and ended up in fog and gathering darkness on the bluffs of a spur of Mount Isabel, whence they found it impossible to proceed in any direction. During the night on which they remained there the sleep of death overtook Smith. Robbins apparently awoke in time, hut his frantic efforts to release himself from the maze of bluffs and precipices ended in his slipping oyer a bluff into the Upper Taipoiti Gorge, where his body was found. Loney, the survivor, made his way back over Whitehorn’s Pass and found help at the camp of "Wilson and Sweeney, in the Wilberforce Valley. The events of the day preceding the tragedy were described to 'a reporter J>3 T Mr J. P. Wilson, who first took the news to the Glacier Hotel. On Sunday Mr "Wilson, with his camp mate, Mr H. M. Sweeney, had left Carrington Hut at 8 a.m. to return to their camp in .the- Wilberforce Valley", via Harmon’s and Whitehorn’s Pafeses. Mr Wilson said it was raining hard at times, but visibility was fair, and they could see the outlines of the mountains. Visibility was excellent up to a hundred yards, except on occasions when clouds obscured tlje view. The snow was good and the weather warm. Looked All Right. After they had crossed Whitehorn’s Pass and were an hour and a-half on their way down Cronin’s Creek, they met Loney’s party. The three teachers were described by Mr Wilson as travelling -'light. They seemed all right and looked to him to be good, hard men. The parties conversed for ten minutes orgmore. The teachers asked Mr Wilson what conditions were like on the top, and if they were as bad as they were in the morning. Mr Wilson replied that they were, not, and advised the teachers to proceed. He said afterwards that he had no doubt" as to their ability to reach the Carrington Hut, and when they did not return to his camp in the Wilberforce, with which they were acquainted, he made sure they were at the Carrington Hut.

Monday was again wet. On Tuesday at 6 p.m. Loney staggered into Mr Wilson’s camp and said he thought the others were lead. Loney was in such a state of exhaustion that it was not considered safe to leave him alone. So Mr Sweeney stayed with him, while Mr Wilson set out at 6.30 in search of help. Mr Wilson reached the Carrington Hut late that evening and attempted to reach the Glacier Hotel, but after being swept off bis feet several times in the Waimakariri and badly buffeted lie returned to the Carrington Hut tor the night. Early on Wednesday morning he set out for the Bealey again, making the journey of 15 miles m three hours.

HOW THE MEN DIED. HOPBLESSLY LOST IN ICE MAZE. GHRISTOHUROH, This Day. When the school teachers, having lost their bearings in the fog, found themselves trapped among, the blults of Mount Isabel, they made strenuous efforts to escape, as was shown by the tracks they made before, finally suecumbincr to exhaustion and cold. The Taipo-iti Gorge, above winch they were lost, is edged by cliffs three hundred feet high. Smith’s body was found one thousand feet above these cliffs, and below him were scattered pieces of gear which he had evidently thrown away to lighten his pack during his attempts to find his way to safetv. It seems certain that the party spent Monday night at the spot where Smith’s body was found, and that Smith must’hare been dead when the other two awakened on Tuesday moping, Smith’3 body was m a sleeping

position when found. His death had almost certaintly been painless. When Robins’s body was recovered a mile and a half away from the site, of tliis camp, it was clad only in a singlet and trousers, his other clothes having been used for covering Smith. Robbins had put up a great Struggle before the precipices finally trapped him. His tracks led in many directions, breaking off at one point where he had fallen down a waterfall. Recovering from that fall he had gone on further until he'slipped over the 300-ffc precipice of the Taipo-iti Gorge, crashing on to hard avalanche snow underneath. Even after that he had moved a short distance before dying. Robbins had evidently discovered a- way out, but had no strength to carry him further, and had fallen the victim to a precipice. Loney found the only possible way of escape from what was a, veritable trap, taking the same route out on his way to "Wilson’s camp as the rescuers bad to take to reach Smith’s body. The rescuers were unanimous in declaring that no blame coukli attach to the teachers. They describe the place where the men were trapped as the worst in the whole mountain region, and one from, which only first-class mountaineers could get outThe teachers were well equipped. Ample supplies of food and water-proof matches were found in their packs, and they r had extra woollen blankets, woollen socks, underclothing, and coats.