Coroner’s Court Searchers Nearly Killed In Trying To Find Boys

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29354, 5 November 1960, Page 11

Coroner’s Court Searchers Nearly Killed In Trying To Find Boys

During a search for two Christchurch secondary schoolboys who had been reported overdue while on a climbing trip of peaks behind Temple Basin. in the Arthur’s Pass National Park, on August 23, three of the searchers were .caught in an avalanche in the Devil's Punchbol area and were swept down a mountain slope. A few more feet and they would have plunged to their deaths over a 200 ft drop. This evidence was given by Constable W. S. Armstrong, of Otira, during an inquest in the Christchurch Coroner’s Court yesterday into the deaths of the two schoolboys, whose bodies were discovered by two other members of the search party at the foot of a 400 ft to 500 ft bluff, over which they had fallen, on the lower slopes of Mount Cassidy.

The dead boys were David Ernest Burn, aged 18, and Gilbert Mark Mitchell, aged 16.

After evidence of carrying oqt post mortem examinations had been given by Dr. C. T. B. Pearson, the Coroner, Mr E. B. E. Taylor, returned verdicts that Burn died from shock and hemorrhage due to multiple injuries, and Mitchell from factures of the skull and cerebral lacerations and contusions, suffered in their fall over the bluff on August 21. Peter Croft, senior ranger at Arthur’s Pass, said the youths were not reported overdue until the evening of August 22, although they had set out for their climb on the previous morning. A search was organised next day, and he and the former schoolteacher at Arthur’s Pass, Ronald Horace Chapman, went up a formed track until they climbed above the scrub line in the direction of Mounts B’Limit and Cassidy. They followed footprints which were coming off the mountain down a spur heading towards the Cassidy basin. The spur ended further down at the top of a waterfall which fell over the steep bluff. The men saw the tracks continuing further down than they dared go. “The area was too dangerous to search,” said Croft.

He said they went to a point further round above the basin and from there saw the two bodies lying among ice at the foot of the waterfall. > Chapman gave similar evidence. Questioned by Mr B. G. Dingwall, who appeared for the parents of both boys, he said there had been a fresh fall of snow in ,the area but the accident occurred below this level. Conditions were reasonable on accepted climbing routes, and Mounts Cassidy and B’Limit were among the easiest mountains in the area. He said the presence of the sheer bluff over which the boys fell was not readily noticeable from above. “In moving down through the basin I was quite Surprised to see how steep the vertical face was. It was disguised from above,” he said. Scrub at the top of the bluff also disguised it to some extent.

Constable Armstrong said he examined the bodies when the recovery party arrived on the scene. They had suffered severe injuries in the fall, of at least 400 ft to 500 ft. They were lying on an ice ledge and were frozen. There was no time to examine the area because of falling ice. Mr Dingwall said he wished to .correct newspaper reports which had indicated that the boys were inadvisedly on the mountain, and were 111 equipped. Mitchell’s father, himself an experienced climber, had told them to climb in this area. Evidence had shown that specialised climbing equipment was not required where the boys met their death, and they were actually on their way down the mountain when the accident occurred. Boy Killed by Bas Evidence that a six-year-old boy, who was killed when his schoolbag was caught in the rear door of a Christchurch Transport Board bus while he was alighting from it had “panicked" when two other children called out to him and he had tried to leave as the doors were closing, was given By a passenger in the bus, Lucy Elizabeth Cook. An inquest was being held into the death of the boy, Gregory Horton Smart. He was found to have died from shock and hemorrhages due to multiple injuries suffered when he fell while alighting from the bus. being driven by Duncan McK. Hill, as it was leaving a stop in Selwyn street, near Milton street, at 3.24 p.m. oh September 22.

Hill, in evidence, said he stopped to let two other children off. They left by the rear door and he looked through the inside rear vision mirror to make certain all passengers had alighted before pulling away. He said he had travelled to Dobson street when someone called out that the child had been hurt, and returned to find him lying on the roadway. Hill said he might have seen the child had he looked in the outside rear vision mirror before moving off. About five seconds elapsed between the other children alighting and his moving off. About six to eight schoolchildren had been on the bus. To a question by counsel for the boy’s parents, Hill said he would not necessarily have seen the child had he looked in the outside mirror.

“A driver has no trouble seeing adults in the outside rear of the bus, but might have trouble seeing a child. They just dash off,” he said.

Mrs Cook, a passenger in the bus, Said the two other children got off the bus and called from the footpath to Gregory Smart, who then tried to get off as the bus was moving and the doors closing. He just got through the doors, but his schoolbag caught in the doors and he fell. She said the bus driver took •'the usual amount of care.” She considered the cause of the accident was the child's attempt to alight as the bus was moving away. GIRL HIT BY CAR When a four-year-old child ran out on to the road at Burnham about 4,10 p.m. on September 3 In front of a car driven by Nancy Beatrice Smith she applied the brakes and swerved to the left but could not avoid hitting the child, said Mrs smith. She was giving evidence in the Inquest into the death of the child. Carol Ann Farmer. The girl was found to have died of a fracture and dislocation of the spine suffered when she was struck by Mrs Smith’s car. Tile witness said she was travelling about 40 to 45 miles an hour along the Main South road when the girl ran out only about 30ft ahead of her. She attributed the accident to the child’s running out in front of the vehicle without warning. Constable D. K. White said it was the practice of children coming from Burnham Military Camp to follow a track through the trees across the railway line and then across the road when going to a store. Motorists would have no idea that the track existed, ot that there were children in the vicitinity until they emerged on to the road. elderly Woman killed Amelia Lizzie MacPhall, aged 69. was apparently hurrying across the road to wave a bus to stop when she walked Into the path of ■ plumbers' merchant’s truck, said the truck's driver, Frank Robert Sutherland. MacPhail was found to have died from multiple injuries sustained when she was struck by the vehicle outside her home on the Main North road near Kaiapoi at 10.46 a.(n. on July 21. Sutherland said the sun was shining directly into the truck at the time. He first saw the woman on the crown of the road and he swung the truck to the right to try to avoid her. He said he thought she was struck by some pipes which protruded ahead of the truck. “I don't think the woman saw my truck. She was apparently hurrying across the road to stop a toils which was approaching." he said. Evidence was given that Mrs MacPhat) had Intended catching the bus to Ranglora. DROWNED IN AVON Luigi Patrick Vannini aged 66. did not respond to artificial respiration after he had been pulled from the Avon river, near the Gloucester street bridge, at 6.45 p.m. on August 4 and was found to be dead when police arrived on the scene, according to evidence given by Constable W. H. McCallum. Vannini was found to have died accidentally from asphyxia due to drowning. HIT BY CAR ( Alan William Robinson, aged 38. lyas found by the Cotoner to have died from fractures of the skull and cerebral lacerations and contusions suffered when he was struck bv A car being driven by Frank Junior Kmpe in Stahmore road at 7.45 p.m. on July 24. Constable D K. White said Knipe when interviewed at the scene of the accident, told him he had been driving Along Stanmore road with his headlights on dip when he saw the man lying on the road with his cycle alongside him. Leslie Wilkinson, a Government analvat, gave evidence of finding alcohol in an analysis of sample* taken from Robinson. SUICIDE VERDICTS HafTy Heidrich Burrows. Aged 59 was found to have committed sill* pide at Long Bev. Akaroa, on August 31 • death resulting from poisoning Sarnnel James McPherson Stewart, aged 56. was found to have committed suicide at Barry’s Bay. Akaroa. on September 5. the cause of . death being asphyxia due to carbon monoxide poisoning.