Three on Mt Cook feared dead

Press, 22 January 1988, Page 1

Three on Mt Cook feared dead

By

GLEN PERKINSON

Three climbers missing since Sunday on Mount Cook are now believed by searchers to have perished.

The search may be resumed later this week if the good weather on Mount Cook continues, but in the meantime searchers have given up. The climbers, two Americans and their British-born companion who was living in Australia, were lan Jay Watts, aged 27, of Reno, Nevada. Dave Harvey Tarrent, aged 31, of Vaucluse, Sydney. Bob Harvey, age unknown, of Idyllwila, California. Police in Timaru last evening released a statement outlining the men’s movements. The statement said that after a meeting yesterday at Mount Cook National Park headquarters between searchers, police and helicopter searchers it was decided to discontinue the search. The men are believed to have left the Plateau Hut about 1 a.m. on Sunday intending .to climb Mount Cook via the Zurbriggen Ridge. Two other climbers left the same hut to climb the mountain, via the Linda Glacier. They saw three lights in a close group at the foot of the Zurbriggen Ridge after being forced to turn back about 3.15 a.m. because of soft snow and the danger of avalanches. There had been no further sightings of the men. After the last sighting the

weather deteriorated, with heavy cloud and strong winds developing by Monday and rain on Tuesday. The statement said all possible areas the men could be were “extensively covered several times” and police believe the climbers would have emerged by now from any snow caves they managed to dig. “The only possible conclusion is that all three climbers perished in an avalanche on Sunday morning and their bodies must be covered by avalanche debris or have fallen into deep holes at the foot of the ridge.” Sleeping bags and personal effects recovered from the hut by searchers indicated the missing climbers were only intending a day trip. The Press Association reports that Mr Alan Wilson, the parks officer-in-charge of search control at Mount Cook, believes the three men possibly slid down the mountain face and into a crevasse before falling to their deaths. “It was such a brilliant day today. If they were alive, today would have been the day to make themselves known. We’ve searched some areas four and five times. Their chances of being alive now are extremely minimal,” Mr Wilson said last evening.