QUICKLY FOUND

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 92, 19 April 1941, Page 11

QUICKLY FOUND

MISSING TRAMPERS

EFFICIENT SEARCH WORK

SLOW JOURNEY OUT

1 Within three hours of leaving Wellington a search party of experienced trampers on Thursday night found Warren Hobbs and Maurice Forster, two youth's who had spent nearly a week in the bush and had been overdue 'for three days, during which they were without food. They were exhausted when they were found, lying in a hut, and a few hours delay in their being found might have had serious consequences for Forster. Accompanied by Bruce and Lawrence Neilson, of Miramar, Hobbs, who lives in Berhampore, and Forster, of Austin Street, left Wellington on Good Friday for what was to have been a full four days' expedition into the Orongorongos. None of the youths had had much experience of tramping, and they struck trouble when bad weather overtook them on Sunday and continued until ThursdayPARTY SEPARATES. On Monday they were following the Turere Creek, intending to find its junction with the Orongorongo River, and come out to Eastbourne by the normal route. Halfway down the creek one of the Neilson boys went ahead to investigate, and on his return found only his brother. The two Neilsons managed by Wednesday morning to reach the log cabin on Grace's Stream, which runs into the Wainui, and there they found a party of soldiers on a deer-stalking trip. The soldiers brought them back to Wellington, where they arrived on Wednesday evening, tired and hungry but none the worse. Mr. C. Stubley, secretary of the Tararua - Tramping Club^ interviewed the Neilsons, who gave a clear account of their movements, enabling Mr. Stub-1 ley to plan the search for Hobbs and Forster. Arrangements were begun on Wednesday night for the searchers to go "out if the boys were not discovered by noon on Thursday. At 4.30 p.m. on Thursday the party left, and between 7 and 8 p.m. it found the missing youths in Mac's Hutt, about five miles from the Wainui Road. RUNNER'S ALL-NIGHT TRIP. Both Hobbs and Forster were suffering from exhaustion and-exposure, and their clothing and sleeping bags were completely . wet. Forster was also suffering slightly from frost-bite. Senior members of the party rendered first aid, and the youths were given dry clothing, hot drinks, and food. Runners were sent to inform the other, searchers and Mr. Stubley, who remained in Wellington, of the finding of the youths. Because the nearest telephone was out of order one runner travelled through the night to. the next nearest telephone, at the Wainui Post Office, »twelve miles from the hut. ' On Friday morning the party started back to the Wainui road, and the fivejmile trip, which can be done by a fast man in an hour, occupied seven hours, including spells. Hobbs was able to walk, but Forster was brought out on the Neil-Robertson stretcher,' given to the Tararua Tramping Club some years ago by the St. John Ambulance Association for use where ordinary rigid stretchers are unsuitable. At the Wainui road the youths were met by a Wellington Free Ambulance car and brought to the city, which they reached at 6.15 o'clock last night. Both were taken to hospital Hobbs was able to leave for his home .soon afterwards, but Forster remains under j observation, though he is not. in a serious condition. The searchers arrived back about 6.45 p.m.

Mr. L. D. Bridge, chief guide of the. Tararua Tramping Club, led the searchers, who comprised 20 other trampers from the Tararua Tramping Club, the Tamui Tramping Association, and the newly-formed Taxes Tramping Club. The search' had the complete co-operation of the eight tramping clubs in Wellington, and other parties were to have left at later intervals had the' youths npt been found.

All the youths have expressed their gratitude to the searchers, and one of the clubs is expecting four new members.