TWO CLIMBERS MISSING

Grey River Argus, 24 March 1943, Page 2

TWO CLIMBERS MISSING

MAY BE LOST NEAR MT. COOK.

CHRISTCHURCH, March 23. Anxiety is felt for the safety of two members of the Royal-New Zealand Air Force,'who have been missing in the Malte Brun area, near Mount Cook, since last Saturday. It is feared that they may have lost their way in an attempt to scale the Malte Brun peak. The missing men are: Sergeant W. P. Morton, a son of Mr W. Morton, formerly of Fairlie and now of Auckland, and Sergeant Wallaqe. Both (men belong to an Air Force station near Christchurch. They were on leave at The Hermitage, Mount Cook, and set out last Wednesday for the Malte Brun Hut, intending to return on Sunday evening. However, bad weather, which was experienced all the week, made climbing difficult, and when the men had not returned by yesterday morning apprehension began to be felt for their safety. A search party of seven men was organised and set out under the leadership of Flight Lieutenant Hewitt for the Malte Brun Hut. No trace of the men, apart from a note which indicated their intention of climbing the Malte ,Brun peak, was found at the hut. Four of the party returned to The Hermitage yesterday. Flight Lieutenant Hewitt and Messrs J. Gibson and W. Goslin remained at the Malte Erun Hut, with the intention of climbing the Malte Brun peak this morning. Although both the missing climbers are members of the Alpine Club neither is a fully experienced mountaineer. Reports from The Hermitage indicate that the weather was stormy there on Saturday.

NO FURTHER NEWS OF CLIMBERS. P.A. TIMARU, March 23. Two members of the personnel ot a Royal New Zealand Air Force station near Christchurch, who are missing in the Malte Brun area, near Mount Cook, were on a climbing itrip. The two men, who were spending their leave at The Hermitage left on Wednesday last to clinch Malte Brun peak, about 24 miles awa'y, intending to return on Sunday evening. When they did not return, fears were entertained for their safety. The men are Sergeant William Patrick Morton, aged 24, whose father is Mr W. A. B. Morton, formerly of Fairlie and now of Grafton Street, Auckland: and Leading Aircraftman Wilfred Frank Wallis, aged 27, whose father is Mr. F. L. Wallis, of Marlborough Street, Riccarton. The men did not return on Sunday, and when they did not put in an appearance on Monday, A search party, headed by Flight Lieuteant L. R. Hewitt, set out for Malte Brun. When, they arrived there, they round n 0 sign of Morton or Wallis, but they they had left a note saying that they intended to climb the peak on Saturday, and that they should return the same night. No’further news has so far been received from The Hermitage.