No Helicopter Available

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31306, 28 February 1967, Page 1

No Helicopter Available

(From Our Own Reporter)

TIMARU, February 27. Efforts by the Timaru police to obtain a helicopter to recover the bodies of two Wellington climbers from the west ridge of Mount Malte Brun have been unsuccessful.

An approach was made to the Royal New Zealand Air Force at Wellington, and to two firms.

Sergeant R. H. McMurray said this evening that insufficient men were available to form a ground party, and the Christchurch police had been requested to enlist a team of experienced climbers. Evidence on the sighting of the bodies of Alistair Chapman and Colin Andrew Smyth was given by two men, Messrs G. T. Martin, an Australian, and G. Converse, an American, before the Fairlie district Coroner (Mr H. G. Shanks, J.P.) this afternoon. Depositions showed the bodies were from 8500 ft to 9000 ft up the ridge, which drops perpendicularly for 200 ft. From 3ft to 4ft the men saw that one body was in a half-sitting position and the other was lying face down over the legs of the second climber. The bodies were close to the main route up the mountain.

Constable A. Jackson, of Fairlie, represented the police at the inquest, which was arranged on account of the witnesses’ impending de-

parture overseas. The proceedings were adjourned sine die.

Constable J. W. Lester, of Lake Tekapo, who is police liaison officer at Mount Cook National Park headquarters, has five men standing by to assist if necessary. Sergeant McMurray said it could take four days to get the bodies out