MISSING TRAMPERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21940, 29 April 1933, Page 8

MISSING TRAMPERS

SMOKE AND LIGHTS SEEN AREA TO BE SEARCHED TWO PARTIES DESPATCHED (Peb United Press Association.) MASTERTON, April 28. A radio message was broadcast thi« evening from Mr Vosscler reporting that smoke had been seen at noon and lights at: 6.30 p.m. on Thursday by two reliable observers eight miles apart in the area between the Broken 'Axe and Baldy, south of Mitre Peak. Mr Vosseler asked that a party should search the area as quickly as possible. The message was received at the Mount Holdsworth mountain hut, which later advised that a party was leaving immediately to search the area and another Masterton party was taking the area east of Mitre Peak to Mangaterera. A light was also reported to-night, apparently from the same area. Four Masterton parties are setting out in the morning to investigate the area where the lights were seen. A plane ii also to make a survey first thing ha the morning. The weather prospects arf good.

STILL NO TIDINGS

HOPE NOT ABANDONED (Feb United Press Association.! PALMERSTON N., April 28. There is still no news of the missing trampers. Mr J. Sandman, of Palmerston North, a searcher who has been in the ranges for several days, has returned home. He says that there is still hope for four or five days of the trampers being rescued. He described the weather of the past week ,as the roughest he had ever experienced as a tramper in the Tararuas.

IMPROVEMENT IN WEATHER

THE SEARCH INTENSIFIED. (Per United Press Association.) ' MASTERTON, April 28. Search operations for the missing trampers are proceeding on an intensified scale, more particularly in the Waiohine-' iti area. The weather at last shows signs of a definite improvement and this will greatly assist the searchers. Opinion is divided as to the chances of the missing party’s survival in view of rhe exceptionally wild weather of the past fortnight.