ORDEAL IN RANGES

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 144, 21 June 1938, Page 11

ORDEAL IN RANGES

MISSING HUNTERS

FOUND BY SEARCHERS

RAW VENISON EATEN

(Special to the "Evening Post.")

PALMERSTON. N., This Day.

Famished and stiff with cold, bi none the worse for their e: jgsJ_mce, Hugh Bowler and Arthu Hfegan, the two young men who ha beett missing in the hills at the bac of Tiritea since Saturday, were brough out late yesterday afternoon by a part; of searchers. The pair had not actuall: been lost, their predicament being th result of mis judgment in trying t< come out of the hills by way of th Tiritea Stream, which they founi flooded just above the reservoir, caus ing them to retrace their steps. "We were jolly glad when we wen picked up," Mr. Bowler told "Thi Post's" representative last evening, "a my feet were beginning to crack ui and we were stiff with cold. Regai was also finding the going difficult." Mr. Bowler said the initial mistaki was following the stream instead o: coming out by way of the ridge. Nigh overtook them, and they were obligee to stop. With no means to light a fire their matches having got wet, he sho; a deer ahd, skinning it, they stuck theii feet inside the carcass to keep then: warm, and put the skin over them' selves. So a very uncomfortable Satur day night was spent. The journey dowr the stream was resumed on Sunday but to their dismay they found the stream so flooded that they were forced to turn back. They were still in the bush when night again descended, but by this time they had three deer skin's. To make matters worse torrential rain fell, but they gathered bracken fern for a bed, and with their feet again inside the carcass of a deer, a skin over their legs, and one each around their shoulders, they made the best of a bad job. Yesterday morning they set out once more Up stream, and, but for the arrival of the search party, Mr. Bowler said, they would only have made the ridge by nightfall, owing to their more or less crippled state. They had set out with Only sufficient food for one day, with the result that on Sunday they had to resort to deer flesh and liver Uncooked to appease their hunger. Mr, Bowler considered that the shots h?ard by those who were out looking for them on Sunday were those fired by him when he shot the deer. He did not hear any. of the shots fired by the searchers. DISTRESSED CONDITION. "The boys were in a fairly distressed condition when we came upon them," said Mr. V. A. Christensen, who was the first to see them. He was accompanied by Mr. Stedmari, and was attached to a party led by Mr. S.tidolßh. They had cut in through - Mr. Honore's property and "down through the bush to the Tiritea Stream, where • they found some tracks. Some of these were upstream and some downstream, but those. upstream appeared to be more recent. The party followed these for a while, and about 10 o'clock decided to separate into two units. One of these comprised Messrs, Christensen and Stedtnan, who followed the stream bed, and the other Constable Bdwley and Messrs. Laing and Stidolph, who Went up the ridge working towards Kirkland's Mr. Christensen, and his companion found :the tracks getting fresher Upstream, , and eventually found the missing men. They were in a very distressed condition, and were working towards Brown's Flat. Bowler had gone right through his shoes and his fee|. were fairly badly lacerated. His companion had fared better in that respect. After the men had been given some food and a change of clothing, the return journey was commenced at 1 p.m., the party reaching the headquarters of the search party 'shortly %fter: dark,