Snocat Down Crevasse: One Killed, Two Hurt

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29058, 21 November 1959, Page 12

Snocat Down Crevasse: One Killed, Two Hurt

(New Zealand Pres* Association) WELLINGTON, November 20. One man was killed and two others were injured when a New Zealand Antarctic expedition survey party’s snocat crashed 100 ft into a snow crevasse 180 miles from Scott Base about noon today. . The man killed was: Lieutenant Thomas Couzens, single, aged 28, of Christchurch. Those injured are: Bernard Gunn, aged 33, geologist, married of Dunedin, spinal injuries, and J. H. Lowery, aged 27, geologist, of Milton, unspecified injuries, but including a broken jaw. Messrs Gunn and Lowery .were flown to Scott Base and then to McMurdo Sound by a United States Navy helicopter at 9 p.m. tonight. Lieutenant Couzens’ body has not been recovered.

Lieutenant Couzens, who was a member of the Royal New Zealand Armoured Corps, had been in the Army for 10 years. He spent two and a half years in Korea and was an expert alpinist and parachutist. He was seconded by the Army to serve as a Snocat driver. Mr Gunn who is one of New Zealand’s most experienced Antarctic explorers, was with the New Zealand section of the TransAntarctic Expedition. He returned to the Antarctic for his third season to do geological and mapping work which was started in 195758. < Mr Lowery is studying for a master’s degree in geology. The party with two snocats and three dog teams was camped together and held up by bad weather. Messrs Gunn, Lowery, and Lieutenant Couzens set off on a routine reconnaissance at 11 a.m. on Thursday. Only half a mile from camp the snocat suddenly fell back through a crevasse about nine feet wide, which had been completely covered by drifted snow.

This morning, Murray Robb, leader of the snocat party, decided that the party was overdue. He set out to look for them apd found them at 8 a.m. Ken Wise and Garth Matterson went into the crevasse several times to free the two injured men and give them hot drinks and food.

A radio message was picked up by the American Victoria Land traverse party and passed on to a plane carrying Rear-Admiral David M. Tyree on a polar flight. It was flashed to 'MeMurdo Sound and from there to Scott Base. A United States Otter and helicopter with a doctor immediately flew out and landed at the scene of the accident at 3.20 p.m. Lowery was brought to the surface at 5.30 p.m. and Gunn

half an hour later. The men were then flown to McMurdo Sound and put into the base hospital.

Gunn and Lowery will be flown by a United States Navy Constellation to Christchurch.

Plane Standing By

A United States Navy Super Constellation was put in readiness last night and the crew was standing by to fly to McMurdo Sound to bring back the injured men if a request for assistance was received.