Missing Trampers Walk Out Safely

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31085, 14 June 1966, Page 1

Missing Trampers Walk Out Safely

Two Christchurch teen-agers, reported missing on Sunday in the Kelly range, near Otira, walked out of the bush near the Taipo river at 12.30 p.m. yesterday.

The youths, Murray Richard McAvey, aged 18, of Marshland road, and Douglas John Hall, aged 14, of Shortland street, were fit and well. After leaving Otira about 3 a.m. on Saturday, the two were seen near Carol Hut, their destination, later in the morning. On Sunday afternoon, the father of one of the youths and another man tramped to the hut, because the youths had not returned to Otira as expected.

The two men found the youths’ gear in the hut, but there was no sign of them. Constable J. Bronell, of Otira, and two other experienced mountain men left early yesterday morning, equipped with radio. They were a “fast party” to make a quick reconnaissance before a full-scale search alert was given to the Search and Rescue Organisation. Police at Greymouth were trying to make radio contact with the fast party when the two youths were reported at the Taipo river, safe and well. The fast party was subsequently recalled. Fog Bound A party of trampers from the Shirley Boys’ High School, comprising a master and six pupils, reported overdue yesterday from a week-end tramp in the Cass area, later walked out of the bush too. The party, led by Mr C. H. Blackman, was to have returned from a tramp up the Andrews river in time to catch a rail-car for Christchurch on Sunday. The police were alerted, but delayed a search because it was thought the party had been delayed by heavy fog. This was the case, but the party had plenty of food and warm clothing.