ENGINEERS RELEASED

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32360, 28 July 1970, Page 10

ENGINEERS RELEASED

Exchange For Guerrillas (N.Z. Press Assn—Copyright) LAPAZ (Bolivia), July 26. Two German engineers have been freed by kidnappers in exchange for the release of 10 followers of the Cuban revoluntionary Ernesto “Che” Guevara. The mining engineers, Messrs Gunter Lerchl and Eugene Schulhauser. had been seized by guerrillas who threatened to kill them unless the Bolivian Government freed the 10 guerrillas. The guerrillas were released and flown to Arica, Chile. Word that the engineers were safe came by radio from South American Placers, an American - owned company that employed the men. The radio report said that nearly 100 miners and other employees were waiting when Messrs Schulhauser and Lerchl walked out of the jungle and crossed the river in a small boat. Both were well, but had walked a long distance through the jungle, the report said. The Bolivian wives of the mining engineers arrived from La Paz 15 minutes after their husbands returned. They had come in an effort to get information, and did not know beforehand of their release.