MAN DROWNED IN CRATER LAKE

Northern Advocate, 21 May 1936, Page 8

MAN DROWNED IN CRATER LAKE

'Mt. Ruapehu I t Tragedy

1 300-FOOT FALL POL- | , LOWS SLIP Bife , : • * fj - (Special % to "Nortnern Aavucaze.’’h THE 'CHATEAU, This Day. 4 \ ‘ v i , • ... ; - , CLIPPING on the ice on Mt. Ruapehu, a man slid 200 feet on the glassy surface, and fell nearly 300 |;i' feet Into the crater lake. He managed to reach a rock on the side of the lake, but after clinging to it for gK- nearly three hours, disappeared, p Two of his sons "were in the party Which witnessed the tragedy. L He was Mr James Alexander Gordon, a Taumarunui solicitor, aged about 45 years. He was the senior partner in the firm of Gordon, Nichol - son and Rennie, and is survived by his wife >hd three young sons. Determined .efforts were made by a 2 reselle party to recover the body, which was seen floating on the surface of the lake, but the of ice | formed during the recent eruption prevented the party from approaching the h edge of the lake. Efforts were discontinued in the afternoon, but another attempt was made today. I No Guide With Party. Pk- • , ‘ tc. Mr Gordon was a member of a party If,Which set out from the Chateau early pr in the morning, their objective being ■ to make a traverse of Paretetaitonga, |: one, of the peaks surrounding Crater Lake. The party consisted of five K adults and three boys, two being sons ; of Mr Gordon. There was no guide with the party, ;? |put most of the men had had previous climbing experience. The climbers reached the foot of the near the peak and had lunch | about 11 a.m. When they set out to ; • climb towards the head of the glacier, it was found that the ice was treach- / eroiasly slippery, and it was decided Ir.td turn back.

When about 10 or 12 yards from, the spot where they had lunch, ,Mr Gordon slipped and began to slide down the incline towards the lake. He gathered speed every second, and his companions could do nothing but watch him slide to the edge of the cliff, almost 300 feet above the surface of the lake, and disappear. Clinging To Rock. .... Prom where' they , were standing, the party could not see Mr Gordon, but when they went round to the left of .‘the lake, they saw him clinging to a rock hear the Side of, the Jake. They called to" him, but received no answer. If was impossible to descend to the edge of the lake, and they had to wait While one of the party went for help. However, before the rescue party, arrived, Mr Gordon had' disappeared. .At 2 o’clock he was still alive, for he called out to his waiting friends that he could not hold on much longer. Mr C. Risberg,', chief guide,; went hurrying to the spot as soon as he received news of the tragedy. When he arrived, the body of Mr Gordon could be seen floating in the lake. It was found impossible to descend to the lake, the only course open being to walk round Paretetaitonga, and to reach a suitable place. As it was then late in the day, that course was abandoned until today. Mr Gordon was a director of the Hayward Timber Company, and took his legal degree at Canterbury College, Christchurch. He- served on Gallipoli, where he was severely wounded.