Boy Fell To Death Over Bowen Falls

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30593, 9 November 1964, Page 1

Boy Fell To Death Over Bowen Falls

(New Zealand Press Association) INVERCARGILL, November 8. A 13-year-old boy was killed on Saturday, when he fell from a rock overlooking the 530 ft Bowen falls at Milford Sound.

He was MARK MACKRELL, of 37 Russell street, Invercargill. He was with his parents and brother at Milford Sound for the week-end. He and his brother, Sephen, aged 11, went for a walk about 10 a.m. along the pipe line, which feeds power to the sound power house.

The spectacular falls are past the intake of the line.

It is presumed by the Te Anau police that the boy musi have stepped out on to a sloping, slippery rock above the falls, which could be taken wrongly for an observation post, slipped off, and fallen down the face of the falls.

The accident is estimated to have occurred about 11 a.m.

Unconfirmed reports say the younger brother just managed to save himself from a similar fate.

There are ledges and basins down the face of the falls, and the police think the body must be trapped on one of these.

The possibility that the body may have been near the

top of the falls was considered, and a Cessna aircraft, from Queenstown, with Dr. W. A. Anderson aboard, was flown into the area. Because of cloud and heavy rains squalls around

the Hollyford Valley, a direct route could not be taken.

All attempts to find the body were unsuccessful and the plane returned to Queenstown at 5.40 p.m. Constable E. Donnelly, of Te Anau, says it is a matter of waiting for the body to come down the falls, the great volume of water contained in them, which has increased after a four-inch fall of snow today, making any further search impossible. Constable Donnelly is certain the body must still be in the falls, as a watch has been maintained on them since the accident was reported. There are doubts that the body will ever be recovered.