ONE STUDENT’S BODY BROUGHT UP CLIFF

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31316, 11 March 1967, Page 1

ONE STUDENT’S BODY BROUGHT UP CLIFF

The body of one of the two theological .students attending the Holy Name Seminary who were swept by the sea off rocks at the foot of Whitewash Head, off Scarborough, on Thursday, was recovered yesterday. He was

MICHAEL O’CONNOR, aged 20, son of Mr and Mrs M. P. O’Conitor, of 20 Mareth street, Panmure, Auckland. The body of the other student who was swept off the rocks had not been sighted when darkness fell last night. He was

Bernard David Horgan, aged 19, son of Mr and Mrs B. H. Horgan, of 61 Wychbury street, Spreydon. Acting-Inspector O. .D. Wilkes, head of the Christchurch police search and rescue team, said that the Canterbury R.N.Z.V.R. launch Pegasus would continue the search for the missing man at first light today. The police yesterday requested the Sumner lifeboat and the Lyttelton launch Tuatea, owned by Mr A. Scott, to take part in the search for the two missing men. A police party was on board the launch.

Life-boat Repairs The lifeboat Rescue II was at No. 2 wharf, Lyttelton, and repairs were being made to

electrical circuits and to Its radio and navigation lights. The body of Mr O’Connor was sighted from the sea early in the afternoon at the foot of the 350 ft cliff. It could not be recovered from the sea.

High-altitude face rescue gear was brought to the cliff top and set up by a team of six expert mountaineers. Mr J. Wilson, a veteran of several Himalayan expeditions, made the steep descent to the rocky inlet where the body lay. Special Stretcher He was lowered on a steelwire line at 4.15 p.m. He brought the body up . on a special stretcher attached to his backhand reached the cliff top at 5.55 pjn. The body was clad in a pair of grey shorts ahd navy blue shirt. A wrist watch on the left arm had stopped at 5.45. For most of the rescue, Mr Wilson was out of sight of the rescuers on the cliff top. Police in the Tuatea directed the team at the topi by radio.

David Horgan is a nephew of the Rev. C. Horgan, who is in charge of Maori Missions in Christchurch. Fr. Horgan and the rector of the Holy Name Seminary, the

Very Rev. G. McGinty, S.J., were at the cliff top during the rescue. Acting-Inspector Wilkes last night thanked the mountaineers, lifeboat crew and other helpers.