STILL MISSING

Evening Post, Volume CIII, Issue 139, 15 June 1922, Page 8

STILL MISSING

TRAMPER ON THE TARARUAS

RESCUED MAN'S EXPERIENCE.

No news of the young man, E. J. Kime, "who is believed to be lost on the Tararua Ranges, had' been received up to time of going to press. Search parties are scouring the ranges,'' an additional party going out from Kaitoke to-day. As reported in The Post yesterday, Alan Bollons, a son of Captain Bollons, was rescued late on Tuesday night, and was .brought back to his home in Wellington yesterday. He had left Kime on Saturday, the intention, being that ho would return to the Alpha hut and his companion would follow on; as the conditions were too unfavourable to make for Otaki. After that he lost his way, and did not reach the hut until two days later. He had not seen any trace of Kime.

The experience of Alan Bollons after leaving his mate was an unenviable one.. Both young men stayed at the Alpha hut on Friday night, and started out again at 7 o'clock on Saturday morning, intending to go straight over Mount Hector, so that they could reach Otaki in the evening; A thick fog was encountered, and with snow ou the ground and a bitterly cold wind blowing the going was hard. After walking for fivo hours, they decided to turn back to the hut.' How they came to separate was told by the rescued young man as follows:—

"For about an hour we kept on the return track together. We were feeling somewhat exhausted, and decided to reduce our packs, which we did, only retaining the food and blankets. After proceeding a little farther, Kime, who1;- is a' good stayer but not a fast ' walker, wanted me to go on ahead and get help. I refused to leave him for a time,- but a little while later I agreed to cut along to. the Alpha hut and get a fire going while he followed on. He had his. top coat and the food, and I had the blankets in my pack." In the thick fog the young man Bollons missed the right track, and then decided to continue. to the bottom of the valley until he struck the river. It was then late, and, rolled up in his blankets, he remained by the riverside for the night. Next morning (Sunday) he followed the course of the river for three or four hours, but his passage was blocked, and he was forced to turn back. Reaching the spot from which he had set out that morning, he settled down there for another night. He was practically without food, having left the main supplies with Kime. A little milk, bovril, and brandy was all that he possessed. The fog was still thick on Monday, but he decided to endeavour to get back on the track again. After pushing through three or four hundred feet of thick bush, he reached, the track at noon, and made his way bade to the Alpha hut. There lie found no trace of Kime. Foot-sore and exhausted, he remained at the hut during Monday night, being then without blankets, which were discarded owing to the hard work of climbing through the bush. At 9 a.m. on. Tuesday Bollons set out for the Tauherenikau hut, which he reached, after a very slow walk, in the evening. Emergency rations were available at that hut, and after a meal the young man wrapped himself in an old sail-cloth, and got into a- bunk. The rescue party, including Messrs. Vosseler and Wilson, arrived, on the scene at 11.40 p.m., and thereafter the young tramper was well cared for. Two of the party remained with him and the others' went off in search of Kime. Bollons was brought back to,his home yesterday. "I think I, should have been dead if the search party had been delayed for another day," he remarked, after giving details of his ordeal. ;