ALPINE TRAGEDY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22981, 8 March 1938, Page 12

ALPINE TRAGEDY

MR. P. CARE OIL'S FATE EVIDENCE. OF CHIEF GUIDE "WRONG TRACK FROM HUT" [ilY TKLICCI RATH —PKESS ASSOCIATION'] TIMAKU, Monday An inquest into the death of Mr. Patrick Carroll in the Southern Alps on February 13 was opened before the ooronor, Mr. H. Morgan, S.M., at Fairlio to-day, when tho evidence of Mr. A. R. Bowie, chief guide at the Hermitage; was taken. Mr. Bowie was tho leader of tho party which found tho body on the Upper Ranfurly Glacier over a week after the accident occurred. Mr. Carroll was accompanied by Mr. Ronald Gunn, a guido at tho Fox Glacier, who was found at the De La Becho Hut six clays after tho accident. He was then in a fairly exhausted state, suffering from frostbitten feet and head injuries. Witness said that on tho day of the accident ho had been out on the Tasman Glacier and tho weather had been bad and obviously breaking, making conditions unsuitable for climbing. The day was unsuitable for an attempt to cross Graham's Saddle and tho weather became rougher at daylight, when Mr. Gunn and Mr. Carroll must have started. The weather had not actually broken, but to any experienced mountaineer it should have been apparent that the weather was going to break in an hour or go. Witness said tho climbers had started; off on the wrong track right from the hut, .which seemed to be the fault of their inexperience, because there was some visibility when they started. To an experienced mountaineer the route should have been obvious. An experienced man, even if he had not been in tho district beforo, would not have taken tho wrong route. Mr. Gunn had said the weather broke at 11 a.m., but witness considered it was an hour earlier, as ho had been near the De La Beche Hut at the time. Both men appeared to have ample food and equipment. The Coroner: Was Guide Gunn experienced? Witness: I don't know. Probably inexperienced. Witness added that after the accident Mr. Gunn put up a stout effort. The way he looked after Mr. Carroll and made his way back to the hut without an axe could only he so described. Witness said Mr. Gunn had turned to tho right too soon and this threw him well off the course. Tho evidence of Mr. Gunn will be heard at Timaru on Wednesday.