36 To Search Today For Boy

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31760, 17 August 1968, Page 1

36 To Search Today For Boy

A search yesterday for a 17-year-old Christchurch schoolboy who accidentally shot himself in steep country inland from Goose Bay was unsuccessful. Thirty-six searchers will continue at first light today.

The youth is Geoffrey Keith Martin, a son of Mr and Mrs K. C. Martin, of 113 Hackthorne Road, Cashmere.

Martin was with Paul Arlov, aged 16, of 10 Takahe Drive, Cashmere, on a pigshooting expedition behind Goose Bay, 10 miles south of Kaikoura. They were in bushclad hills on Thursday afternoon when Martin jarred his rifle on a rock. The rifle discharged and the bullet went through his chest The accident happened about 5 p.m. Arlov put his companion in a sleeping-bag and made him as comfortable as possible. Martin was bleeding profusely.

About 10 minutes after the accident Arlov set out for help, but became bushed and had to halt until daylight. He reached the farm of Mr W. M. Dowle at Goose Bay about noon yesterday. Constable M. F. Direen, Mr Dowle, Arlov and nine farmers went into the hills at 2 p.m. to search for the wounded youth, but Arlov had lost his bearings on the way out and the party was unable to find Martin. A search party of 24 mountaineers and policemen left Christchurch at 12.30 a.m. today to join 12 local searchers Inspector G. R. Knight, officer in charge of the Christ-

church Police S.A.R., said last evening that Mr Dowle had examined aerial photographs of the country, and last night considered he knew where the wounded youth would be. An air reconnaissance of the area would be made as soon as possible if it was practicable.