Party Forced To Spend Night Without Shelter

Greymouth Evening Star, 7 April 1948, Page 5

Party Forced To Spend Night Without Shelter

’ As the sole survivor, the guide, Mr Michael Sullivan, of Weheka, was in an exhausted condition when he reached The Hermitage early this , morning, the full story of the alpine tragedy is not yet known. Mr Sullivan, however, was able to give a short account of how disaster overtook his party. They camped on Monday night in a suitable spot, but with the approach of darkness yesterday they had not reached their destination and the girls “knocked up,” with the result that the whole party was forced to spend the night in the snow, without shelter. During ths night, all three women perished from exposure, it is not yet known whether they were overtaken by blizzard conditions, or whether it was the normal cold of the Alps at this time of the year which caused their deaths. Mr Sullivan survived the ordeal! and pushed on alone over the remaining 12 miles of the journey to : The Hermitage to report the tragedy. : In view of his condition, no attempt < was made this morning to obtain a I full account of the sufferings of the i party before death overtook the young women. As soon as Mr Sullivan reported at The Hermitage, two experienced guides were dispatched immediately to locate the bodies and to make certain that the women were beyond aid, as reported by Mr Sullivan. At the same time, the police organised a party of men from the Lake Pukaki Public Works Camp, about 35 miles from Mt. Cook, and this party left during the morning to recover the bodies. It is expected that this party may return to The Hermitage before darkness this evening, but progress will depend upon weather and snow conditions. COPLANDPASS IS 7400 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL !

The Copland Pass where the tragedy ocurred is 7,400 feet above sea level and is situated at the head of the Copland river, which is a tributary of the Karangarua river. It is south of Mt Cook and also of Mt La Perouse, where a young woman mountaineer was injured recently. The pass is aproximately 14 miles, in a direct line, from Weheka and six miles from Mt. Cook. The. country is extremely rugged, but in good weather the pass is considered quite negotiable.