Fall from Mt Cook summit

Press, 24 September 1980, Page 2

Fall from Mt Cook summit

Timaru reporter A verdict that two climbers who fell 700 m from the summit of Mount Cook on JaiiL -.ry 29 died from their injuries was returned by the Timaru district Coroner (Mr E. G, Bradley). The Coroner was presiding over an inquest into the deaths of John William Gottman, aged 38, of Salt Lake City, Utah, and Jarred Isreals, a university student, of 502 South Drive, Winnipeg.",, . u Evidence was given, by

two other climbers in the area at the time, of seeing tw n > persons fall. from the summit icecap. lan Douglas Forne, of 50 Kinsey Terrace, Sumner, Christchurch, said that he had seen the top person on the rope begin to fall. A few seconds later, the lower man started to fall also.

He said he saw both persons slide the full distance of the icecap. “I then saw them hitting the icecliffs,” he said. “They fell for about 20

seconds before coming to rest on the Upper Linda Glacier. It was obvious they were dead . from the fall,” the witness said. The then Chief Ranger at Mount Cook National Park headquarters (Mr B. W, Thomas) , said that in order to establish the condition of th. two climbers, he had flown into the area by helicopter and hovered within 15m. of them. There was no movement. They were obviously dead, said Mr Thomas.