NIGHT ON RANGES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 142, 18 May 1936, Page 6

NIGHT ON RANGES

THREE YOUNG CHILDREN. SUCCESSFUL RESCUE. Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, .May 18. After spending the nigtit in the bush on the \\ aitakeie Ranges, 'lony Worth, aged 15, the soil ot Air 0. H. W orth, bank manager of Newmarket, and two girls, Nell and Rae Cameron, a year or two younger, were found shortly after 10 o'clock this morning by a search party in the vicinity of the Nihoutupu Dam. While stopping at a private hotel in the Waitakere Ranges, they went off shortly after 3 p.m. to climb to the trig station, the highest point on the ranges, about lour miles distant. When they failed to return for tea the alarm was raised and a search party scoured the bush unsuccessfully. This morning 55 men, well acquainted with the ranges, commenced a search shortly after daybreak, being reinforced from time to time by other parties from New Lynn and members or the Auckland Tramping Club and the Alpine Sports Club. At about 10 o’clock the searchers calls were responded to by the missing children, who were found little the worse for their adventure. I bey said that, having reached the trig station more quickly than they e-x pec ted, and seeing the waters of the Nihoutupu Dam below them, they decided to visit the dam before returning to the hotel. Darkness descended before they reached the dam and. after casting around for some time, they decided that it was hopeless to find their way out of tho bush until morning. They settled down for the night inside a big tree, which hod been hollowed out by fire. Huddled together, .with a fox terrier, “Mick,” in their arms, they were not uncomfortable, though they felt the cold as it was a particularly cold night and all were lightly clad. This morning they heard the cooees of the searchers, but could not locate the parties in tlie bush. They, therefore, decided to follow the course of the creek that runs into the dam. Tho search party had emergency rations, and the youthful trio came out of the bush smiling happily.