Man drives off with hikers’ baggage

Press, 16 April 1982, Page 2

Man drives off with hikers’ baggage

Two overseas hitch-hikers lost most of their gear when a man drove off with their packs in the back of his car on Wednesday night, and forced the two hikers to spend an unscheduled stopover in Ashburton.

Donald Schermetzler, of WisconiSin, United States, and Stephen Schroeter, of England, said they were picked up by the driver of a bottlegreen 1970 or 1971 Vauxhall Cresta car near the Waitaki river bridge on Wednesday. The three stopped at the Chertsey Hotel at 8.45 p.m. and went in for a beer. Mr Schermetzler said that about 9.10 p.m. they realised that the driver, who had been drinking with them, had left the bar. A check outside showed that the car had gone, but the driver had made several trips outside saying that he was looking or

waiting for someone, and so they did not report the matter to the police until 9.45 p.m. The driver had called himself “Ash.” He was described as being about 1.72 m tall and about 63kg in weight. He had top dentures and a small scar on the left side of the neck. He had blond hair and a droopy moustache Mr Schmermetzler said his gear was. in a blue Pan American hand bag and a yellow pack. He had lost his camping gear, including a tent, and spare clothing. He had not lost any money or his passport, but Mr Shroeter had lost $550 worth of American traveller’s cheques, plus his passport and an Olympus camera. Both men said they had tickets for onward travel, which could be of no use to the driver.