Needless Search For Safe Deerstalker

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30861, 21 September 1965, Page 1

Needless Search For Safe Deerstalker

A search by police, mountaineers, radio operators and National Park rangers for a deerstalker overdue in the Cass area was called off yesterday when it was discovered that the stalker was in Kaniere. on the West Coast, and had been there for a week.

The stalker had arranged to inform a friend in Christchurch when he came out of the Cass area. His failure to do so, causing a search to be mounted, was strongly criticised by members of the Search and Rescue Organisation last evening.

The stalker, Lindsay Lopes, aged 34, a well driller, of Christchurch, told a friend that he would be a week or nine days in the area when the friend left him there on September 5. He said he would telephone the friend in Christchurch on September 12, or two days later. When Mr Lopes had not telephoned by yesterday, the friend informed the Christchurch police at 8.30 a.m. At 4.30 p.m., the Greymouth police informed the search and rescue base at the Christchurch Central police station that Mr Lopes was safe in Kaniere and had been there for a week.

The main party in the search area was told by radio that Mr Lopes was safe and not in the area, but three Arthur’s Pass Park rangers were not able to be reached by radio. “SECOND TIME” “This is the second time in succession we have been alerted and starting to search for a man who. in fact, is not in the mountains but safe I and sound elsewhere.” said Mr Gordon Buchanan, a Federated Mountain Clubs’ member of the Search and Rescue Organisation.

“The searchers go out at considerable inconvenience to themselves and there is

always the possibility of danger to life and limb to searchers.

“It Is surely only common sense for persons leaving the roads and entering mountainous country to inform their families or friends of any change of plan. “On this occasion, Mr Lopes’s friend acted properly (and on the information given to him by Mr Lopes when he was left in the Cass area, in the only way possible) in advising the police that Mr Lopes was overdue. “The police and the search and rescue organisation, taking into account that Mr Lopes, on a lone stalk, was six days overdue, had to take immediate steps to search for him,” Mr Buchanan said. PARTY SENT “This entailed sending advance party of 10 to the area, the setting up of a radio base there, and establishing a link with Christchurch “It meant the organising, in

this instance, of a support party of 10, a stand-by party in Greymouth, and preliminary steps towards an air search if required.

“It would be no exaggeration to say that 30 men were actively involved in this. At least two police officers were on hours after their normal duty finished; organisers did hours of telephone work. POLICE VIEW Inspector C. McKenzie, of the Christchurch Central Police Station, who was in charge of the police side of yesterday’s search, said he fully supported Mr Buchanan's views. “The inconvenience and expense are secondary. The danger to life and limb for searchers is the paramount concern. It would be a tragedy if a searcher was killed or seriously injured while looking for a person who was not in the area but safe and sound elsewhere." Inspector McKenzie said.