CLIMBERS’ ORDEAL ON RUAPEHU

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 287, 31 August 1931, Page 11

CLIMBERS’ ORDEAL ON RUAPEHU

Fourteen Students Overtaken by Blizzard 6 RESCUED; SEARCH FOR 8 OTHERS •/ ■ I Party Split Up; Three Girls Among Missing Dominion Special Service. The Chateau Tongarlro, August 31. Grave fears were felt yesterday for the safety of six young women and eight men of whom no news had been received since they left in a party from The Chateau. Tongariro early on Saturday morning to climb Mount Ruapehu. Snow began to fall a few hours after the party left at 5 a.m. and on Saturday night when ' the party was still missing a blizzard swept the mountain. M' At 10 o’clock last night the search parties, the first of which left The Chateau 24 hours before, still.had nothing to report, but to the great relief of those who waited news was received at The Chateau at 1.20 a.m. to-day that six of the party had been found, and it was believed that the remainder of the missing climbers were Safe. It is understood that these six, three men and three girls, were discovered at 2 p.m. yesterday in the Whakapapaiti Gorge. The search party who found them took one of them to the cottage of Mr. John. Cullen, warden at the Park, late last night. He telephoned the news to The Chateau at 1.20 a.m. The remainder of the party who were missing are believed to have divided into two groups. People were setting out from The Chateau early this morning to reach them. . Of the six who were found, the girls were in a state of exhaustion. The party is understood to be composed almost entirely of members of the Auckland University College Field Club, led by ■Mr. Graham Bell, of the University staff. All are quite young, most of their ages ranging from 17 to 20. With the exception of one ( girl, whose home is at Masterton, all live in Auckland or in the province. Their names are:— 0 ; , FOUND YESTERDAY AFTERNOON: GRAHAM BELL, Lecturer in Engineering at Auckland University College, who was leader of the party; STEWART MacDIARMID, aged 17, son of C. MaeDlarmld, solicitor, Hamilton; ' - ALAN FLYNN, aged 19, of 24 Crescent Road, One Tree Hill, Auckland, ■ ■ son of Captain J. Flynn, of the Union Company; MISS MOYA WATKINS, aged 18, of Ascot Avenue, Devonport, daughter of Mr. H. H. Watkins, engineer to the Auckland Drainage Board; MISS GWENETH WATKINS, aged 19, sister of Miss Moya Watkins; MISS EVA ELLITT, of Helensville. MISSING, BUT BELIEVED SAFE: BRUCE SPOONER, aged 20, of Pukenui Road, One Tree Hill, Auckland; . —. HARRIS, of St. Hellers Bay; ■ WARWICK STANTON, aged • 19, son of J. Stanton, city solicitor, , Auckland; * HAROLD ADDIS, master nt Nelson College, whose parents live at Ponsonby. . . . ' JOCK GRAHAM, aged 24, son of W. H. Graham, Esplanade Road, Mount, Eden, Auckland, who was secretary and organiser of the party; MISS ESME BROCKETT, aged 17, daughter of Mr. F. C. Brockett, of the Department of Agriculture,. Masterton; MISS JULA . RENNIE, aged 18, daughter of Mr. D. Rennie, farmer, Helensville.'’' ' ■ ' , ■ " ’ , MISS FITZIE MORRIS, aged 18, daughter of Mr. G. N. Morris, S.M., Whangarei. ■

In addition to the search parties, fi motor-car was sent out yesterday to patrol the roads In the hope of picking up news of the missing people. The members of the party were ell equipped with clothing, ropes and five Ice-axes. They hiid with them, also, a compass, aneroid barometer, telescope, maps and a rtrst-nld outfit. They had sufficient food among them for their evening meal on Saturday, and although only fourteen set out preparations had been made for nineteen; they''had at least five lunches to spare. When they left they Intended to be back in the evening. Some of them had a fairly good acquaintance with the mountain, and one .hud climbed Ruapehu earlier in the Week. Xt is difficult to understand how they could have become apparently hopelessly lost When they had with them a compass and map. If one of them had by chance met with some sort of accident it was hardly likely that all would remain. When they failed to return to the Salt Memorial Hut at 6 o’clock on Saturday evening anxiety was felt. A search party left the Chateau at 10 o'clock, and scoured the mountain all night. A second party left at 2,30 o’clock yesterday morning to search in a different direction. No trace of the missing people was discovered, but at 6.30 a.m. when some of the searchers were breakfasting "in the Salt Memorial Hut, a man’s shout, was heard by all present. No trace of anyone was found, however. Seven further parties left The Chateau yesterday, and others set out from Ohakune, Karioi, Horopito. and. the Waikune prison camp. Experienced, bu.-h--btishmen and settlers living in the Vicinity of the mountain also joined in the search. The only party which had not returned nt a late hour last evening was one which had set out early in the morning under the leadership of Mr. B. McPhergon, Conservator of Forests. About. 100 men altogether were combing the mountain yesterday. Stretchers, hot-water bags, first-aid equipment, and supplies of food were sent to various points. SNOW AND SLEET Searchers’ Experiences POOR VISIBILITY •" Dominion Special Service. The Chateau, August 30. Three parties which went in to-day from Kariol on the Ohakune side of the mountain reported on their return late

to-night that snow had fallen continuously. Visibility was so hopeless that they could not have seen the missing people unless they were right on them. Searchers from this side' also fought high winds and driving snow and Sleet. When the climbers started off at 5 a.m. on Saturday the weather was fairly dear, but clouds blew up from the west during the morning and as the day progressed the ‘weather grew worse and worse. At 2.30 p.m. conditions at Scoria Flat became so bad that the Ruapehu Ski Cliib had to discontinue its sports meeting. After the others had left, two members remained anxiously skimming the slopes through .flying snow for signs of the climbers. These two were Professor Worley, of Auckland University, and Guide Olaf Pedersen. They continued the search, and when darkness fell they came back to The Chateau and gave the alarm.

To-day, besides the parties from The Chateau, searchers set out from the Other side Of the mountain, the chief points of departure being Horopito, Erun Bush Siding, Creighton’s Siding, Karioi, Pok* ako, and Ohakune. Several of these are spending to-night at the Ohakune Hut and working east and fest from this point at a height of 5500 feet. Messrs. J. Wells, T. Audefson. C. Horton and R. D. Horton are spending tonight at Glacier Hut, and to-morrow morning will climb to the summit of Ruapehu, aS it has been suggested that the students may perhaps be in the crater. If they are there, however, the chance of their having survived the frightful weather conditions at that height is practically nil.