LOBURN MAN SAFE

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28257, 20 April 1957, Page 10

LOBURN MAN SAFE

Eight Nights In Rough Bush

Mr Charles Pelvin, who disappeared from his home at North Loburn more than a week ago, walked out of the rough Mount Grey area on Thursday.

He had taken a night’s Supply of food with him when he attempted to climb the peak, which is more than 3000 ft high, and after eight nights in the open he still had some supplies left. Mr Pelvin slipped into a ravine in particularly rugged country on the slopes of Mount Grey on Thursday of last week. He had begun to climb the mountain in fine weather, and after sleeping out the night he climbed on only to fall into the steep ravine. The ravine was dangerously rocky. For two days Mr Pelvin attempted to climb up where he had fallen; but had to struggle downhill through a dangerous gully, an escape route he. did not think possible at first. Found by Farmer He was found walking out of a pack track by a farmer who was going round his sheep. Mr Theodore Gros, jun., of Journey’s End, who found Mr Pelvin, said that his face was sunken and that he was “pretty weak.” Mr Pelvin later said that if he had not found the pack track road on Thursday he would not have got out to help. Mr Pelvin, a 65-year-old bachelor, was about 1100 feet up Mount Grey when the accident occurred.

The area is covered in bush and gorse. This is not the first time persons have been lost on Mount Grey and the opposite side to which Mr Pelvin was climbing is considered extremely treacherous.

Mr Pelvin, who lives with his brother, was not attended by a doctor on his return. At first he had difficulty in swallowing food, but his brother said yesterday that considering the time Mr Pelvin had been out he was in remarkably good shape. Yesterday, Mr Pelvin was back at work in his orchard.