FOUR MISSING TRAMPERS FOUND

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 183, 1 May 1933, Page 10

FOUR MISSING TRAMPERS FOUND

Met in Waiohine Gorge by Carterton Hikers

PARTY ALIVE, BUT WEAK FROM STARVATION Two Members Injured by Fall Down Steep Slope Dominion Special Service. Carterton, April 30. The four trampers, Miss M. Williams, of Wanganui, Dr. AA. B. Sutch, of Palmerston North, Mr. E. Hill, of Aokautere, and Mr. A. H. O’Keefe, of Wellington, who had been missing in the Tararua Ranges since Easter Saturday we re found at midday to-day in the Waiohine Gorge. The trampers stated that they had not been lost, but. that they had been delayed by the weather and an • accident to O’Keefe and Hill.

The party had come through the Waiohine-iti area and was following down the Waiohine River w hen it came in contact with a party of 26 members of the Carterton Tramping Club, who were nob searching, but were out for their usual weekly tramp.

The party was provided with milk and light food, which was eagerly eaten, as they had been completely without food of any kind for some days and were then taken to the residence of Mr. Compton, which is about five miles back toward Carterton. Here they were most hospitably treated, provided with warmth, clothing, food and warm drinks. They were then taken on to Carterton, from where O’Keefe was motored back to Wellington, and the other three travelled by motor-car to Palmerston North. O’Keefe and Hill were hurt at the Battle Axe Pinnacles, rugged promon tories on the south side of Mitre Peak. Both slipped and fell about 50 feet down a steep slope, and O’Keefe's head was badly cut and bruised and he was rendered unconscious. Hill’s rucksack broke his fal, but at the cost of a valuable portion of the party’s food supplies, 13 eggs being smashed to pulp.

The party suffered severely from cold, their legs being almost frozen, while O’Keefe’s feet were frostbitten and turned black. On one occasion he took his boots off, and it took an hour and a half to get them on again. The trampers’ hands were so numbed with the cold that they were unable to rub each other to restore circulation. Mr. Hill and Dr. Sutch were well bearded with 15 days’ growth, but O’Keefe had a safety razor with him and had been able to shave occasionally. When they met the Carterton party Miss Williams was acting as leader, having taken over when they got on the move again at 8 o'clock this morning. They had had no food for four days and were so weak that they had to rest every quarter of an hour. When the party left Te Matawal Hut, on the Levin side of the ranges, on Saturday, April 15. at 3 a.m., the weather was beautifully fine and the going was good. When they got to the Broken Axe Pinnacles the party was endeavouring to climb dow-n a cliff about 50 feet high. They had got about half-way down when O'Keefe, who was just behind Hill, who was leading the way, slipped, and in endeavouring to regain a foothold pushed Hill down the slope and also fell over himself. O’Keefe fell on his head and received a nasty cut on his forehead, but Hill landed' on his back, and his pack prevented him from being hurt. O’Keefe Rendered Unconscious. He was rendered unconscious, and his companions spent an anxious hour until he came to again. He was then very groggy, and the greater weight of his pack was shared up between the others. This accident (in which 13 eggs, a valuable part of the food supply, were crushed to pulp) delayed the party for two hours, and by this time darkness had come down. The weather too, had become worse, and snow was falling. The party decided that the best thing to do was to get down to the bush-line and camp, and did so. At this time they only had provisions sufficient for two days. ' The following day the storm showed no signs of decreasing in intensity, so it was decided to follow down the headwaters of the AAaiohine. At lotara Flats the river was a turgid torrent. and it was found impossible to cross. The campers’ condition at this stage was far from comfortable. All were soaked to the skin, and it was difficult to make a fire in the sodden bush. ~ . , The wind continued to blow at gale force, and crossing an exposed ridge, Miss Williams was blown clean off her feet. The partv then got up on to a ridge above the Waiohine-iti River, and struck out for Mount Hector with the intention of crossing to Otaki. which is only a day’s tramp. So difficult was travelling that they took two days getting up to high country. Arrived there they spent three further days flounderiiig in three feet of snow in a vain attempt to reach the peak. O’Keefe’s feet were so severely frostbitten that it took him an hour and a half to put on Ins boots. Finding progress through the soft snow impossible, the party decided to make back for the Waiohine-iti Valley again. The country in this locality is very rough and consequently the going was very slow. On Friday the trampers reached the Totara Flats, where the country is much better. From there they struck off down the Waiohine River, but got into rough country again, and this hampered their progress. On Saturday night they camped on the Waiohine riverbed about four miles above the Cradle in the Waiohine Gorge, and this morning set out on the final stages of their long and tiring journey. When about 200 yards above the Cradle they were seen by a party of members of the Carterton Tramping Club, who immediately crossed the river and gave them all the assistance they could. A Meagre Diet. Food was the first thing that was asked for when the two parties met. The food supplies had held out fairly well until four days ago, and since then the four members of the party had had nothing but tea without either milk or sugar. Accompanied by members of the Carterton Tramping Club, they walked out to the road, refusing assistance. They were conveyed to Mr. AA’. J. Compton's homestead near the Waiohine Gorge, where they had their first solid meal since the Monday after they left Te Matawai Hut. At Mr. Compton’s, Miss Williams was put to bod for a short time and the party, with the exception of Mr. O’Keefe, who returned, to Wellington, were later conveyed to Masterton, arriving there at 5 o’clock. Dr. Sutch said this evening that although they had had a very trying experience they still felt compare-

tively well. For the last lour days they' had practically nothing to eat. The last thing lie had to eat was the rind of a lemon, a spoon full of jam and some butter four days ago. He was loud in his praise for all that had been done for them. Gratitude to Searchers. Dr. Sutch asked that the party’s sincere thanks be conveyed to all who had so generously devoted their time and money in the search. He considered the organisation of search parties remarkably good. He added that although the district in which the party was when it came in contact with the Carterton party to-day had been thoroughly searched, the search operations had been carried out just before his party arrived in the locality.

In conversation this evening, Mr. Hill said that it was chiefly through flooded rivers and the bad weather conditions generally that the four trampers had been delayed. They had no tent with them, although all carried sleeping bags. Mr. Hill, who had the largest bag, cut it open and formed a shelter with that. Although the conditions during the day were very much against them, said Mr. Hill, they were particularly fortunate in getting what he considered comparatively warm nights. If it had not been for attempting to get to Mount Hector. Mr. Hill said they would have been at Totara Flats several days sooner. When the party found their food supplies running short, they made several meals of kei-kei berries, and the centre of the mountain flax, which, he added, “tasted jolly good.” Miss Williams, Dr. Sutch. and Mr. Hill left Masterton for Palmerston North at 7.30 o'clock this evening, aiyl all were in the best of spirits. The parting words of Mr. Hill were: “We were not lost,” to which Dr. Sutch added: “No, and we were not found.” Arrangements have been made to recall all search parties at present out. An aeroplane will fly from Masterton early to-morrow morning showing a streamer from -a wing strut, which is the pre-arranged signal that the missing trampers have been found. HOW THEY WERE MET “Give Us Something to Eat” NO FOOD FOR FOUR DAYS “Good God, give us something to eat.” These were the first words uttered by Dr. Sutch when the trampers came into the hands of the party of 26 Carterton trampers at the Cradle over the Waiohene River. They were literally starving, and ate and drank ravenously at first of the supplies at their disposal. Miss A. Lane, Messrs. Pat Smith, Ormond Hatton, D. Jackson, E. Keal, L. de Lacey. W. Lawrence, and AA’. R. Lawrence, of the Carterton Tramping Club, gave “The Dominion” particulars of how they came across the missing party. Smith .and Jackson had broken off from the main party in one direction, and the others of those mentioned in another. Eacli of them saw the missing trampers about 200 yards away, and all made for the Cradle. Smith and Jackson had called out. and receiving answering calls, made for the Cradle. The missing trampers were on the opposite side, but were soon brought over. Never Lost. "Dr. Sutch and the other members of tlie party told us they were never lost,” said Mr. Hatton. "They knew where they were, but were held up by the snow and the swollen rivers. They had seen the green meadows of Mr. Compton’s property about five miles away, so they worked down to the Waiohene River with the intention of following it down.” The Carterton trampers were of the opinion that O’Keefe would never have reached the farm in the condition in which he was. His feet had been black wiGi the cold, and on one occasion, after taking his boots off, it took over an hour to get them on again. They had three compasses, maps, ami a barometer. The party had had no food for four days, said Mr. Hatton. On Thursday the ration was the rind of a lemon, a spoonful of jam and butter. Another day they had a tin of sardines between them, and on another day the men had each two ounces of bully beef, ami Miss Williams an egg mixed with malted milk. Some food had been cached on Mount Holdsworth against a subsequent trip, and after this the party only had two days’ food on which to exist. When they found themselves in difficulties the food was rationed out. Lost Count of Days. The missing trampers had lost count of the days, and did not know what day it was when they were found. O’Keefe had the only watch in the party. It had been kept going but was an hour slow. About two days back they were so weak and fatigued that it took them three hours to climb a ridge of 100 yards, and another three hours to come down the other side. Miss Lane related that one member of the missing party said they came across an old whare at Totara Flat. It had no roof on it, but they searched round for anything in the way of food without success. A whare is marked on tlie map in this locality, but this derelict was not the one. Had they proceeded about .'mother half-mile on that track they would have found the proper whare in good order, containing blankets, firing, and food. Mr. Hill told them they would have got through

all right but for the heavy snow, which was quite unusual in April. As a rule it was well into May before snow was experienced in the Tararua Range. On the way back to Mr. Compton's bouse they were met by Mr. Compton with a horse. Miss Williams, Dr. .Sutch, and Mr. O’Keefe made the rest of the journey to the house on horseback, Mr. Hill walking with the Carterton party. According to another member of the hiking party, the missing people heard the aeroplane pass over and immediately lit a fire, but the mist was so heavy that it kept the smoke down and the flare did not penetrate through it. FINDING OF PARTY Carterton Man’s Account SPOKEN TO ACROSS RIVER Dominion Special Service. Carterton, April 30. “We started from the Carterton Post Office this morning on our usual weekly tramp, with the intention of going up tlie Waiohine Gorge,” said Mr. Dwane, a member of the Carterton Tramping Club, giving an account of the finding of tlie missing party. “On nearing our destination we were doubtful of the position of what is called the Cradle, where we were to boil the billy. We halted for a few minutes, and on looking across the river, where there is steep hilly bush, we saw four trampers, one of whom we took to be a woman. We called out to the nearest of the four, inquiring the way to the Cradle. He pointed down-stream, and we retraced our steps. “On our arrival at the Cradle we discussed whether these were the missing trampers. We called to one of the party, asking him if he was Dr. Sutch, and he replied that he was. “We told him there were search parties out looking for them, and that people had given up all hope of finding them alive. We brought Miss Williams and Dr. Sutch across the river in the cradle, and as O’Keefe and Hill had received injuries through falling over a forty-foot cliff, they were brought over separately by members of our party. We soon had a good fire going, and as the party had had no food for four days they ate and drank heartily. “We immediately took measures to get in touch with the police by the nearest telephone, which was some miles away. After lunch we took them to Mr. Compton’s farm, where they changed their clothes and had their feet and hands attended to, and were given more hot food. They then had a good rest until cars came out and took them to the Carterton police station, where a large crowd was awaiting them.” PARTY AT BASE Recalling the Searchers VALUABLE RADIO AID Owing to the elaborate nature of the search party organisation, the recalling of the various tramping parties and the withdrawal of equipment cannot be effected immediately. Messrs. 11. Anderson, R. McGregor and W. E. Davidson, of the Tararua Tramping Club, and Mr. F. A. McNeill of the Emergency Radio Corps left Wellington yesterday for Mount Holdsworth. This party will remain at the mountain house to attend to the witndrawal of the search parties which are still out. Mr. McNeill has already rendered valuable assistance in connection with the wireless arrangements for controlling the search parties. Relatives of Dr. W. B. Sutch who are in Wellington, and Mr. A. H. O’Keefe’s relations said last evening that they deeply appreciated the manner in which scores of trampers had joined in the search. The maintenance of contact with the bases from which the trampers worked proved a thorough test for the recently organised Radio Emergency Corps. A number of Wellington short-wave enthusiasts said last evening that the last week had seen the best demonstration of portable transmitters yet given in Now Zealand. MR. O’KEEFE’S CONDITION Ordered Complete Rest Mr. A. 11. O'Keefe arrived at his home in Talavera Terrace about 8.30 o’clock last evening. He is suffering from frost-bitten hands and feet, as well as the head injury he received as a result of his fall on Easter Saturday. He was able to walk from a taxi up tlie steps to his house, but upon his own request a doctor was' called. Mr. O’Keefe was immediately ordered to bed. where he is to rest completely for at least three days. . To a “Dominion” representative, Mrs. O’Keefe said her son looked ill and much thinner as a result of his experience. He had worn the same piece of adhesive plaster on his head since his accident. When the Balaclava, which he had also worn, was removed it was found that the wound had healed properly. According to the story which Mr. O’Keeffe had told earlier in the day. the trampers at no time thought they were lost, but they were delayed only on account of the flooded river and bad weather. Had they not been sighted they would have been able to get out safely a couple of hours later. Air. O’Keefe, who is 23 years of age, is employed in the Public Trust Office. Mr. Hill, who acted as leader of the four trampers at the start, paid a glowing tribute to the way in which Miss Williams had faced the situation. She showed the utmost courage, and was most cheerful under very adverse circumstances. But for her splendid behaviour it would have been a big task to have reached the river where they were found. “The Dominion” acknowledges 10/from “N.C.,” Nelson, toward the fund which has been established to meet expenses incurred in the search for the four trampers.