ANXIETY FOR STUDENT

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 26, 31 July 1933, Page 8

ANXIETY FOR STUDENT

MISSING ON MOUNTAIN

BURIED IN SNOW-SLIDE ?*

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.)

CHBISTCHUBCH, This Day.

Grave anxiety is felt for tho safety of Edgar Eussoll, a Toachers' Training College student, who was missed from a party-whieh attempted to climb Avalanche Peak, Arthur's Pass, yesterday. He.may have been caught hay a snowslide which injured two others. His absence was not noticed until tho party was returning to the township. Tho party, which included a number of Canterbury College students and members of the Otago University debatiug team, found tho trip up, tho peak strenuous, and only eighteen proceeded higher than the bush line. It has not yet been established whether Russell climbed tho peak, as shortly after passing the bush-lino soveral members were caught in a snow-slido four feet deep, which broke without warning, crashing for 200 feet. Two members of the party received slight injuries, W. S. Gilkinson (Otago) being cut on the head, and W. Hursthouse recoiving leg abrasion. By tho time tho party reached Springfield on tho return trip it was made certain that Russell was not accounted for, so six men returned to Arthur's Pass by motorlorry. The search party had to turn back while on Avalanche Peak owing to wretched weather. This morning they found that tho snow-slide is 150 yards' long, 90 yards wide, and 8 feet thick. It is about 200' foot from tho peak. It, is brliovcd that Russell is buried in this snow, but -a blizzard now raging makes, a search impossible. In fact Guide Cobcrger says that the body, if it is buried, may not be found until tho thaw in. tho spring. More snow has fallen, ovor night.