CRATER TRAGEDY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 21 May 1936, Page 7

CRATER TRAGEDY

VICTIM SLIDES INTO CRATER HANGS ON TO ROCK FOR THREE HOURS GRIM and COURAGEOUS BATTLE FOR LIFE (By Telegraph—Press Association) TAUMARUNUI, This Day. The party, consisting of Mr Janies Alexander Gordon, his two young sons, and Messrs S. A. Mannering, D. H. Nicholson, P. Cotton, ancl J. Czoska, climbed Ruapehu on Wednesday morning. After lunch on the edge of the crater lake at 11.30 a.m., tjiey set out to reach the summit overlooking the lake. Mannering had just cut twelve steps w ben lie 'turned and said: “This is too dangerous.” The words were hardly out of his mouth when Gordon, who was sitting down at the time, started to slip, gained speed, and went right over the edge of the crater. Mannering and Nicholson made their wav to a vantage point and could sec Gordon in the water a few yards from the edge of the lake. He managed to pull himself up astride a small rock. Without *m adequate rope the party could do nothing to reach him down the icy precipice slopes, and all except Mannering set off to the Chateau for assistance. Mannering stayed at the scene of the accident and encouraged Gordon, endeavouring to keep up his spirits with an assurance that assistance was coming. Gordon waved back and hung on to the rock for nearly three hours, battling grimly and courageously for his life. However he weakened, probably from injuries and cold conditions, and slipped off the rock into the water at 2.30 p.m. Guide Risberg arrived after a rapid ascent at 3.30 p.m. with ropes, but was 100 late.

Owing to the dangerous conditions Risberg and the party of rescuers who followed behind him considered an attempt to recover the bodv so late in the afternoon would probably result in further loss of life, so tlie party returned to the Chateau. A search party left the Chateau at 2 o’clock this morning to try and recover the body. (Earlier reference to tlie accident will be found on page 6 of this issue )