BODY RECOVERED

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 118, 22 May 1933, Page 3

BODY RECOVERED

RUAPEHU TRAGEDY.

PARTY'S PERILOUS DESCENT. MEN RISK THEIR LIVES. Facing the perils of crumbling ice cliffs, five men on Saturday afternoon descended into the crater on Mount Rua]>ehu and recovered the body of Mr. John Wall, aged ID, of Wanganui, who was killed as the result of an accidental fall of 200 ft over the cliff on the edge of the Crater Lake on Friday afternoon. The rescue party risked death, but there were no mishaps, and the. body was eventually taken to the Chateau last evening. Early on Saturday morning a party of Hi left the Chateau, but observations from the summit showed the impossibility of a direct descent to the spot where the body lay. From the craters rim huge lumps of ice could be seen crumbling away below. A decision was made to undertake the perilous descent with the aid of- 1000 ft of rope from the other side of the crater, and there the risky journey was started by five of the party—Mr. A. Cobbe, manager of the Chateau, Mr. C. Taylor, chief guide, Mr. Clark, an engineer of the Public Works Department, Mr. Stevens, of the Tourist Department's staff, and Mr. T. Jack, of the Chateau staff. "Word Meant Death." Still using the rope on the far side of the crater, Messrs. Cobbe and Taylor edged their way round the lake to the site of the body, wa'king at a snail's pace on a narrow ledge of ice, which iir places was covered with water. "At stages," said Mr. Cobbe, in subsequently describing his experiences, "we were up to our waists in water. Finally we reached the body. It had been hard work making our way round the rim of the lake, but at the spot where the body was lying it .was anything but pleasant. Above us there was a bad overhang of rotten ice, and we both realised that even to utter a word might mean death, as the vibrations of voices could have brought a mass of ice on top of us.

"We had carried with u<3 four deflated motor tubes, and we managed to blow them up and fix them together to make a raft for the body. Then we had the painstaking task of floating it for a quarter of a mile round the edge of the lake back to the spot where the other three were waiting. From my own observation, I have no doubt that Mr. Wall was killed instantaneously by the fall."

Then commenced the ta~k of transporting the body to the top of tho crater. With dusk falling, the body was still within 50ft from iho summit, and there it was left, on an iee ledge, for the night. From the time of departure from the Chateau until the task was abandoned for the day, 13 hours had elapsed. Accidental Death, Reinforced by helpers from Taumaniiiiii, another party yesterday morning set out from the Chateau, and the descent to the ledge was carried out by Mr. S. A. Mannering, of Taumarunui. Ice projected in a dangerous overhang above the ledge, involving a dangerous swing out into mid-air before the ledge itself could be gained. Mr. Mannering made the body fast to the rope, and the party above hauled it to the top of the crater. Mr. Mannering in turn was dragged to safety. Further difficult iee conditions were encountered on the way back to the glacier, and ropes had to be used. It was 3.30 p.m. before the Chateau was reached —11 hours from the time of departure.

At an inquest held later in the evening the coroner, Mr. A. S. Laird, expressed the opinion that deceased met his death through a -sudden attack of vertigo. He returned a verdict of accidental death.