Rescue Of School Party On Egmont

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31501, 16 October 1967, Page 24

Rescue Of School Party On Egmont

(New Zealand Press Association) NEW PLYMOUTH, October 15. A big search was started on Saturday night when a party of 29 girls and teachers from Spotswood College, New Plymouth, were reported missing on the slopes of rainswept Mount Egmont.

Early this morning a rescue team located the girls huddled together in a dry riverbed, using fern fronds as blankets. The party was the largest reported missing in Taranaki. One teacher who had a knee injury was later carried down the mountain by a stretcher party. The injured woman is Mrs K. Lean. She was treated by

St John ambulance men and taken home. The other girls and two teachers walked out of the bush yesterday morning accompanied by rescuers. Most were foot-sore, tired and suffering from cuts and bruises. Following River On Saturday night a threeman party located three more experienced members of the party wading down the icy Maketawa River in search of civilisation. The party, which comprised

Form 111, IV and V girls of the Spotswood College Tramping Club, and four teachers, Miss J. Grant, Miss F. Collins, Miss T. Ormesher and Mrs Lean, set off on a routine, tramp from the North Egmont chalet at 8.30 a.m. on Saturday.

their route took them along the razorback to the Tahurangi Hut and across the mountain to the Manganui ski tow.

On the return trip the party decided to take the dray track to a lower track which led back to the chalet. Near the Maketawa River the track was covered by a slip and the party could not find its continuation. Deciding that to negotiate the slip would be too dangerous, Miss Grant and two experienced trampers, Linda Williams and Maureen Cousins tried to get off the mountain to a telephone. They started about 4.45 p.m. and waded down through the swift icy water of the Maketawa River until they were found by searchers about 10 p.m. Meanwhile, the rest of the party had decided to carry on down the river. They later bedded down for the night in a dry part of its bed. None of the girls was equipped to spend a night on the mountain. Many were wearing only light summer clothes. They huddled together in the rocks and covered themselves with fern fronds. Most did not sleep as it was wet, cold and miserable. They sang songs. Little Food

Most had no food except for chocolate and biscuits. They tried unsuccessfully to light a fire. Parents waiting for the return of the* girls at the North Egmont Chalet became worried when they had not returned at 4.30 p.m. The Taranaki Search and Rescue Organisation controller (Mr D. H. Rawson) was notified and a full-scale search started. Nearly 80 men began combing the mountain from three points. At 1 a.m. today five parties were converging on the Maketawa River, the area in which the girls were expected to be. The girls were found about 3.30 a.m. further down the river than expected. A fire was lit and the party waited till daybreak. It took about five hours to get the party off the mountain.