SUDDEN DEATH.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 4, 6 January 1938, Page 5

SUDDEN DEATH.

ALPINE TRAGEDY.

DIARY TELLS STORY.

PARTY DRAGGED HEADLONG

SURVIVORS' PAINFUL TREK.

(By Telegraph.— Special to "Star.")

C'HRTSTC'HURC'H, this dav

Out on tlie rugged MeKenzie Glacier, at the headwaters of the Whit com be Liver, ->0 miles from Hokitika, lies the body of 2<i-year-old Xonnan A. Dowling, who was killed on December .'sl when he

crashed down a steep snow slope and fell .>() Oft to the rocks below. It is likely that his. body will never be recovered.

i wo of the young men concerned in the tragedy, Messrs. F. K. Davis and J. JL rreeman, shaken. shocked and bruised, arrived in Christchurch this morning to tell the Jirst authentic story oi the mountain tragedy.

Mr. Davis had kept a diarv of the | tramping holiday of the party, and in this small notebook there is a poignant note headed, "Account of the tragedy." Superior Route. The diary reads: — ' F T ; ( ' ft a t 3 a.m. During the ascent < tic Mckenzie ice-fall a superior route was noted, avoiding the crevasses. -Mount Evans was climbed between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. .About 7.30 p.m., on the ."cent of the McKenzie, when approaching the better route mentioned, Dowlinowho was in front, slipped and, lurching forward dragged the party headlong down the glacier over a rockv shelf, in spite of repeated belays, Which* were uprooted. Dowling was killed almost instantly; Davis was unconscious; Freeman was badly bruised arid cut. Davis wa.s roused from coma and the survivors dragged the body down until approaching darkness made it prudent that nothing further should be done because of their utterly helpless condition. Collapsed Into Bags. They managed to find their way down through the icefall in the darkness and finally reached their high camp about 3 a.m., collapsing into their sleeping bags.

Saturday, January I.—Tt was a long process getting out of the bags. For~ tunately it was a beautiful day and the sunshine worked wonders. Derek's (Freeman's) wounds, which were the worst, were doctored lift with condy's, iodine, plaster and dressings. Both my ankles were bent, the knee muscle (outside) stretched, elbow gashed, chest extremely sore and left jaw mutilated. Derek's shoulder had been strained and a pasli opened up in his head. The gear was all outside, dried and sorted.

Six hours elapsed (2 p.m.) before we were able to get most painfully under way. The journey was very slow and trying, especially in the untracked bush.

When the Whitcoinbe confluence was reached we relaxed to recuperate a little before attempting the crossing and woke to hear Walter's voice. The party seemed to have come from nowhere, but on inquiry we found they had descended from the bivvy on Erewiion Col, lunched at 1 p.m. on the Wilkinson Glacier, had visited the boulder cave (read our note), and followed up with great speed. We were assisted across the confluence and given the best beds in the cave and an excellent meal.

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