MISSING GEAR RECOVERED

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21354, 22 December 1934, Page 4

MISSING GEAR RECOVERED

FATAL ACCIDENT RECALLED FURTHER EXPEDITION TO BE ORGANISED Though a pack with some very good equipment is still missing, two rifles, blankets, and other gear, lost when two deer-stalkers met with an accident eight miles from Cass on April 1 of were recovered last weesk-end. One of the men, Thojnas Franklin Hodge, aged 19 years, of Kent street, Sydenham, lost his foothold while crossing from Red Birch creek to the Hawdon stream, and fell over a cliff 700 feet high. . His companion, D. J. Richardson', of Stapleton's road, Shirley, was unable to climb down to him, and did not know at the time whether Hodge was alive or not. Richardson left his pack and rifle, and returned to Cass, and later with four other helpers he went back and recovered the body. None of the equipment of the two stalkers could be found, and it was considered impossible to climb the cliff where Richardson had left his rifle and gear. Last Saturday Mr J. Davis, a member of the party which recovered the body, and Mr D. Snowden, an experienced mountaineer, made preparations and reached the foot of the precipice in good time on Sunday morning. If Mr Snowden found any of the articles during his stiff climb up the top of the cliff he was to fire his rifle. He had been gone only about 20 minutes when a shot was heard. He went on to the top and returned with the two rifles, the blankets, and the" other gear abandoned by Richardson at the top. Hodge's rifle was found in a bush on the incline.

There was, however, no sign of Hodge's pack, and it is thought that it must have been torn from his back and has fallen to the bottom of a basin, the walls of which drop 50 feet practically sheer. The two men tried to reach the bottom with the ropes they carried, but they were not long enough. The rifles and gear which were recovered were handed over to the police. Another expedition is being organised for the second Sunday in January. They will take a longer rope to reach the bottom of the basin to find the missing pack.