YOUTH LOST

Press, Volume C, Issue 29480, 5 April 1961, Page 14

YOUTH LOST

Dun Mountain Search (From Our Own Reporter) NELSON, April 4. A fall-scale search will resume tomorrow morning for a 19-year-old youth who has been miss- • Ing since Monday afternoon on the Dun mountain, 10 miles from Nelson. The missing youth is Graham Robert Batchelor, of 165 Rutherford street, Nelson. Late tofiight it was reported by the police that footprints had been found by the search party still in the area about two hours’ walk from Third House, and an hour from Rocks Hut. It is not known whet! er these belong to Batchelor, but it is possible, and with the coming of daylight there will be a full-scale search in the area. The Nelson Search and Rescue Organisation was alerted on Monday n' lht and by midnight two parties of searchers under the leadership of Sergeants N. B Oxnam and R. Eyles had left Nelson. Both parties were equipped with radio. One of the parties of five men came down from the search area at 5 p.m. today, but the other, under Sergeant Oxnam. stayed on the mountain for the night Ail of the searchers remaining on the mountain are reported to be very tired, having searched all day after reaching the Rocks Hut area. The locality in which Batchelor is missing is described by deerstalkers and trampers familiar with it as being very rugged. It is fairly inaccessible and, although a four-wheeled drive vehicle can take searchers up to Thirtj House, a threehour walk is still necessary to reach Rocks Hut. Vanished

An earlier Press Association message says that Batchelor left two companions to walk round the opposite side of a huge boulder near the old Rocks Hut on Monday and vanished. Police said that the three youths left Nelson about 8 a.m. to make a one-day trip to the Rocks Huts. At about 3 o'clock they were at the old Rocks Hut, less than 200 yards across a gully on the opposite side from the new one.

They were sitting on one of the largest boulders and had just decided to return. Two went round one side on the well-defined track leading across th-? gully and Batchelor went round the other side.

The other youths, named Newton and Gardiner, suddenly realised that their companion had not followed them and they returned. After an hour’s searching and calling they still could not find him and so. as it was getting dark, they made their way back to the city.