MOUNTAINEERING TRAGEDY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23332, 26 October 1937, Page 10

MOUNTAINEERING TRAGEDY

FALL OF ONE THOUSAND FEET i A LEDGE GIVES WAY MAN DASHED TO DEATH .{* ' <Per United Press Association) GREYMOUTH, Oct. 25. Crashing down the mountainside for a distance of 1000 feet, Stanley Nicholls, aged 27 years, an employee of Ballantyne’s, Christchurch, met his death in the Otira Gorge this afternoon. Mr Nicholls, who was on a mountaineering expedition with a companion named Richard Simpson, also of Christchurch, was proceeding along the mountain when the ledge on which he was walking gave way, precipitating him over the side. Fall ing 500 feet, he struck another ledge and rebounded to fall to the bed of the Otira River. * Experiencing great difficulty owing to the rugged nature of the . country, Mr Simpson reached Mr Nicholls some time later, finding him dead. He then made a two--1 hour journey to the nearest road, ' and walked another mile to the Otira ’ Gorge Hotel, where the police were I communicated with. ! Owing to the lateness of the hour ,and the fact that darkness inter'yened, it was decided that the tasK of bringing the body to Otira should be left till the morning, when Constable Gill, of Otira, will proceed to the scene with the search party.