BOY WALKED OUT OF BUSH

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30530, 27 August 1964, Page 12

BOY WALKED OUT OF BUSH

All-Night Search Z. Press Association) NELSON, Aug. 26. A 14-year-old boy for whom search parties had been hunting throughout the night staggered out of the bush west .of Puramahoi early this morning with a severe gash on his head when he had fallen down a 20ft bank. The boy. Max Bloomfield, of Motueka, had • disappeared from a youth club tramping party in the hills near Puramahoi yesterday afternoon. The Golden Bay Search and Rescue Organisation, the police, and Army radio operators and volunteers started searching for him. Constables L. Phillips and G. Howare spent all night in the bush and early this morning at first light further searchers joined the hunt. At 8.40 a.m. near Copperstone creek, the boy turned up. He said that after falling over the high bank he was dazed, and could remembei nothing clearly. He washed the wound in a creek and then lay down and slept. He considered he had never been lost and was astounded to learn of the large-scale rescue operation launched on his behalf. Police dogs from Christchurch sent to help in the search, arrived after. Max Bloomfield had been fourid.