Search for missing boy to resume this morning

Press, 3 December 1985, Page 8

Search for missing boy to resume this morning

PA Wanganui The search for a boy missing on Mount Ruapehu will resume this morning after searchers failed to find any trace of him yesterday. John William Brough, aged 11, of Raetihi, was part of a group of six scouts and two supervisors when he became separated from the rest of the party about 11 a.m. last Sunday.

One of the men and the five scouts searched the area unsuccessfully for the boy on Sunday while the other adult went -for help. A party of six Search and Rescue members made a preliminary search later that night. Yesterday’s search by 44 police and volunteers on the rugged terrain of the southwest slopes of the mountain was hampered by treacherous weather — dense cloud and rain. By late morning a slight clearance in the weather enabled a Taihape-based Aerowork jet ranger helicopter to move into the area to ferry ground parties across hazardous, rain-swol-len streams.

Eight Search and Rescue teams made a “contact” search of the terrain, which is relatively open but very steep.

This method of search enables searchers to maintain visual contact with one another moving metres apart or closing up almost within touching distance to provide a thorough search of the area.

An R.N.Z.A.F. Iroquois helicopter, from Whenuapai, also arrived at midday and was used to transport searchers to the Mangaturuturu Hut, where the search was concentrated.

The search co-ordinator, Senior-Sergeant John Laing, said last evening that bad weather had eliminated any trace of the boy and had hampered movement of ground searchers.

Three of the eight search parties remained on the mountain last night in huts while the other five were tak?n to Ohakune. The boy is believed to be wearing only light clothing, but Mr Laing said reports indicated he might be wearing a parka — “which would double his chances of survival.”

“His biggest danger is of course exposure,” he said. “We hope that he has sheltered in the bush.”

Mr Laing said it was difficult to predict how long someone could survive in such conditions.