Searchers ‘Did Wonderful Job’

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30947, 31 December 1965, Page 1

Searchers ‘Did Wonderful Job’

(New Zealand Press Association)

NEW PLYMOUTH, Dec. 30.

The Tongariro National Park Board’s chief ranger, Mr J. W. Mazey, who controlled the search for the missing student, said today that he could only emphasise as strongly as possible the folly of climbing or tramping alone.

The mountain was very, .attractive and roads and! chairlifts were provided, j but this did not mean it was to be taken cheaply or was: safe to tackle alone.

Mr Mazey paid tribute to all who assisted with ’’.e search.

He said the constables on duty, Constables R. Antill and A. D. Wall, had been co-oper-ative and easy to work with. The radio operators had also done a wonderful job keeping up a 24-hour watch. All the search parties had worked in very severe weather.

The Taumarunui and Ohakune Search and Rescue Or-

ganisation parties had worked at the lower levels and met atrocious conditions. Some of the parties had shown phenomenal stamina. One park board ranger, Mr

I W. Hislop, had searched a {difficult area one day and I had wanted to go out again at daylight the next day. { At one stage Mr Hislop’s {party on Wednesday must

have been no more than 400 yards from the Dome hut where the missing student

and three rangers were sheltering, but had found conditions impossible and had decided to turn back, Mr Mazey said.

“I consider Mr Hislop made a wise decision, because winds of more than 70 miles an hour actually flipped one man over,” he said. “It was extremely dangerous.” Mr Mazey said the party

of Wellington mountaineers had also done an outstanding job. The conditions were the worst ever experienced on the mountain at this time of the year.