Woman Missing On Egmont

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30530, 27 August 1964, Page 3

Woman Missing On Egmont

(Sew Zealand Press Association) NEW PLYMOUTH, August 26. Search and rescue parties searched the southern slopes of Mount Egmont tonight after a Marton schoolteacher failed to return from a morning hike. Heavy rain and wind hampered the searchers as they battled through pitch darkness.

The missing woman. Mrs Antoinette Polach, aged about 60. a teacher at Nga Tawa College, near Marton, had left the Dawson Falls tourist lodge this morning and said she would return by noon. Visibility closed in round the lodge about mid-morning and soon afterwards heavy rain fell. When Mrs Polach failed to return by late afternoon the proprietor of the lodge, Mr J. Wells, instituted a search and made a round trip of the Kaupokonui track.

Police and Search and Rescue officials were alerted soon after 5 p'.m. and at the same time Mr A. L. Mace left the Stratford Mountain House to cover the walk from the Plateau to Dawson falls. Rain continued to fall round the mountain, and as. fears for the safety of Mrs Polach mounted a rescue party swung into action. Equipped with rescue equipment, including a stretcher, a nine-man party arrived at the lodge just before 9 p.m. and its members were dispatched in groups bn walks round the lodge. The search controller at Dawson Falls, Mr G. F. J. Bourke. said a party led by Mr R. Ewington was to scour the ridge track. Another two searchers led

by Mr O. Woods set out over the top of Hastie’s hill while Mr Wells led two other searchers along Coffey's track. An experienced climber, Mr G. Maddaford. was detailed to cover the walk above and below the 60-foot falls. Mr Bourke said the only searchers detailed up th© mountain were a party of two who travelled to Kapuni lodge. A report from searchers described conditions in the bush as extremely dangerous.