Climbers’ death verdicts

Press, 25 May 1984, Page 4

Climbers’ death verdicts

PA Timaru Inquests into the deaths of five climbers in the Mt Cook National Park finished in the Timaru Coroner’s Court yesterday. The Coroner, Mr E. G. Bradley, found that it was impossible to fully establish the cause of death of two Christchurch students, Ronald Brent Davis, aged 25, and Craig Hamilton, aged 19, who both disappeared on August 20

last year while descending Mount Graham.

“Although there is evidence of a rope being cut and a new anchor point being established there is no clear indication of what happened after that,” Mr Bradley said. Neal Francis Whiston, aged 28, a park service mountain guide, of Mount Cook village, died on February 18 from injuries received after he slipped into a crevasse while descending the Engine Glacier

on Mount Footstool, Mr Bradley found. Peter John Linscott, aged 21, of Timaru, died from a skull fracture and other injuries after he fell 468 metres while descending from the west ridge of Mount Cook on January 25. Thomas Hines Beeston, aged 51, of Wellington, died of multiple injuries received when he fell 468 metres while descending Mount Annan in the Mount Cook National Park on February 6.