LOST IN RUGGED BUSH

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23618, 30 March 1940, Page 10

LOST IN RUGGED BUSH

TWO DAYS WITHOUT FOOD DEER-STALKER'S ORDEAL FOUND IN EXHAUSTED STATE [by telegraph—OWN correspondent] IXVERCARGILL, Friday While deer-stalking in the Whitcomb Mountains. Waikaia, Mr. Harold Shave, a single man, aged '22. of Dunedin, became lost after wandering away from his companions and was missing for two days. He was without food many miles in from Piano Flat in the rugged bush country. When discovered by a search party he was in a weakened condition and be is now back in camp recovering from his trying ordeal. Mr. Shave set up a camp with two other youths from Dunedin at Piano Flat, and early in .the morning they set out for the hack country to stalk deer. Mr. Shave wandered away from his companions about noon that day and when he failed to return to the camp they became worried. He was still missing the next morning' and the police at Waikaia were notified. Constable H. K. Pearce organised a search party of Waikaia. Gore and other Dunedin men who were also deer-stalking in that district and it was not until the following afternoon that the missing man was discovered several miles from the camp. It took four hours to convey Mr. Shave on horseback from the place where he was found back to the camp at Piano Flat. He was suffering from the lack of food and exposure, and could remember little of what had happened after spending two days searching for a way out of the mountains. It was fortunate that the weather was fine, although at night the atmosphere was vcrv cold.