SHOT HELPS SEARCHERS

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30264, 17 October 1963, Page 16

SHOT HELPS SEARCHERS

Man Found In Rough Country

(From Our Own Reporter) -REYMOUTH. October 16.

The firing of a rifle shot by the missing deerstalker, 22-year-old Charles McKenzie Ferguson, after he had heard calls from searchers, Jed to his discovery in rugged bush country in the Haupiri district shortly before 10 o’clock tlxs maming. Mr Ferguson was in good health and spirits but all the flood he had left from the three (fays’ supply with which be set out on Saturday afternoon was a small pot of honey. The missing man was found by a three-man party comprising Messrs T. Mather, of Greymouth, and E. Meredith, of Hokitika, both experienced deerstalkers, and Constable B. F. Gough (Greymouth), a former ranger on the West Coast.

Altogether there were 24 men engaged in the search, including members of the police force and radio operators. An aeroplane from Wigram also assisted yesterday afternoon and this morning. Mir Ferguson was found in very rough country near the lower reaches of the Waikiti river. He had become completely lost and not knowing the country had decided to remain where he was. He told his rescuers theit he had heard the aeroplane but as his matches had got wet he was unable to light a fire to indicate his whereabouts. “It is very rough country and it book us three hours to get -up the gorge this morning,” said Mr Mather in Greymouth this afternoon. “It took us only 35 minutes to get back to the base at Mr Coates’s (Mr Ferguson’s employer) farm once we got on the track. Mr Ferguson was able to get down off the bluff and come to where we were waiting for him and he was able to walk out without assistance,” said Mr Mather. The work of the radio amateurs was highly praised by Mr Mather. “They have built up a great system for this kind of work,” he said.