FOUND AT HUT

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 160, 8 June 1939, Page 11

FOUND AT HUT

DEER-STALKERS SAFE. SUFFERED FItOAI EXPOSURE. Suffering from 1 exposure in consequence of two nights spent in the open in the Taranin Ranges, the two missing doer-stalkers, Alessrs Francis C. Swanwick and Herbert Pickering, were found at the To Alalawai hut at 12.45 p.in. yesterday by the Levin search party which had set out the previous evening under the leadership of Air N. Al. Thomson and which had spent the night at another hut. The two men had arirved at the Tu Alalawai hut on the previous evening. On Sunday, Alessrs Swanu iek and Pickering became hushed and spent an unenviable night in the open. On .Monday they climbed to the top of an unknown ridge but could not gat their hearings and returned to the bush, where a rough shelter was made for the night. On Tuesday they sot out to make an effort to find familiar country and succeeded in reaching Alt. Thomson, and came over to Te Alatawai, via Aft. Carkeek, Alt. Lancaster and Aft. Arete. The effects of their exposure made it impossible for them to undertake the remaining nine | hours’ journey to Levin yesterday. The finding of the stalkers was reported by Alessrs N. AL Thomson and R. Webb, who went straight hack to Levin, arriving at 8.30 o’clock last night. Their return via the River Ridge with the river in flood was an exccptionallv difficult journey. Alessrs W. Harris, T. A Kerslakc, A. Hayward and C. A\ ilkinsoii, the other members of the party, remained at the hut to accompany tlie two stalkers when they were fit enough to make the journey. A second search party which left al 3 p.m. yesterday was mot by Messrs Thomson mid Wobli, and returned with them In Levin. Aluch c*. -clit for the organisation of the search parties is due to Air Kerslake, secretary of the Levin Tramping Club, who acted in collaboration with Constable S. Baker and Constable S. It. Hercock.