Boys Rescued By Helicopter

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30802, 14 July 1965, Page 3

Boys Rescued By Helicopter

(N.Z. Press Association) ROTORUA. July 13. Missing since Saturday in the rugged snow-covered bush of the western Ureweras, two Rotorua boys were landed safely by helicopter at the Rotorua Soundshell car-park this morning.

The boys. Steven Duff, aged 16. a schoolboy, and Gregory Rasmussen, also aged 16, a workman, both of Rotorua, were taken directly to the Rotorua Hospital by a waiting ambulance. Duff, who was treated for

.frostbite to his feet, had used 'his rubber-soled shoes to light a fire on Saturday night. He was carried from the helicopter to a stretcher, while his companion hobbled to join him The helicopter, piloted by Mr M. J. Alexander, of Wanganui, made the journey with the two boys from the central Whirinaki hut, deep in the forest, to a marked area in the Soundshell carpark in about an hour. Rotorua Hospital reported that Rusmussen’s condition was satisfactory, and that Duff had suffered slight frostbite to both feet. Both boys will be kept in hospital for two or three days.

The search began yesterday morning when a police and forestry party moved to the plateau hut east of Matea using a grader to clear snow which had fallen during the week-end from the roadway With the party at the search base were Mr Duff and Mr Rasmussen. Sergeant Humphreys, who led the search party, said this morning by telephone from the Mount Matea forest head quarters that the searchers were divided into three parties and one of them, led by Mr J. Knight, a Forest Service officer, found footprints which matched the footwear of the boys. Then another party led by a Forest Service hunter, Mr C. Whiting, moving in by a shorter route, located the missing boys in the central Whirinaki hut, which they had reached yesterday morning.

Sergeant Humphreys said the boys had spent Saturday and Sunday night without food in the open and snow had fallen on both days. The second night they were only 300 yards from the central Whirinaki hut. They reached the hut yesterday morning and were able to get some warm food. By then

both boys were unable to walk.

Mr Alexander attempted to reach the plateau hut yesterday but with dusk falling and low cloud sitting on top of the trees, the risk was too great and he returned to Taupo. He was airborne again at first light this morning and was guided to the hut by a smoke marker.