PLUNGE OVER CLIFF FACE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26352, 6 January 1947, Page 4

PLUNGE OVER CLIFF FACE

(P.A.) TIMARU, Jan. 5. Little chance was entertained to-night of the recovery 6f the bodies of Roy Dixon and Stanley Alloway, who were killed in a snow slide above Dobson Valley last Wednesday morning. Six experienced climbers under a Hermitage guide were attempting to bring them down,to the head of the Dobson Valley, but the bodies were lost during the difficult descent and plunged over a sheer cliff face. According to the police report, the bodies were not tied to the sledge, but had been placed in sleeping bags and were being brought down on ropes.

Interviewed after his arirval back in Fairlie to-day, Constable T. Round, who organised one of the first parties to visit the scene of the tragedy, stated that he and Sergeant Croxford, of Timaru, were the last two to try to locate the bodies. When Guide Bowie, of the Hermitage, and the other climbers had the rescue work of the injured under control, six of his (Bowie’s), party under a guide returned up the difficult slope to recover the bodies of Dickson and Alloway for the police. Sergeant Croxford and Constable Round, who had been assisting the work at the top of the valley, also started to climb up, but met the guide!s party descending. They were told by the guide that the bodies had broken loose and had fallen over the bluff.

snow gave way or what actually happened to cause the slide.” One of the climbers caught in the slide, Robert Barrowclough, told a reporter that he had little idea v of what happened. He vaguely rpmembered the slide starting and then attempting to go to another climber’s assistance. The next thing he .knew he was about 2000 feet further down. A report that the police have attempted to withhold information concerning the tragedy is contradicted by the fact that whatever reports came to hand from the scene of the disaster or Glen Lyon were made available readily to the press by the Timaru headquarters. The injured climbers were taken to Glen Lyon Station in a heavy truck early on Saturday morning. Four of them, Mrs Boyd and Witten-Hannah, Barrowclough, and Smith were stretcher cases. After a meal they were brought to Timaru by ambulance. The other injured who were able to walk also had a meal and left soon afterwards with Dr E. S. Stubbs, of Oamaru. Both Dr Stubbs and Dr M. S. Wells, of Fairlie, spent a strenuous time after reaching the scene of the tragedy, and their work in assisting the injured won general praise. The difficulties of making satisfactory contact with the area of the accident is shown by the fact that as late as midnight on Friday, the police in Timaru had .received a list of only six of the injured climbers. The arrival of the party in Timaru on Saturday morning disclosed that nine had suffered injuries. The condition of seven necessitated their admittance to the Timaru Public Hospital. The Injured Climbers ' -Although two are still under observation, details which were available of the injuries and of the conditions of the climbers were given by the hospital authorities this afternoon as follows: James Croxton, Wellington, injuries to spine, but condition not serious. James Witten-Hannah, New Plymouth, minor injuries to the spine, but not a fractured ankle as was previously suppected; condition not serious. Mrs Mary Boyd, Karori, minor fracture of the pelvis; condition riot serious. Miss Vera Schwimmer, Wadestown, fractured nose; not serious. Robert Barraclough, Wellington, shock and abrasions. Ronald Smith, Island Bay, shattered kneecap; condition satisfactory after an operation. Miss Margaret Moore, Lower Hutt, fractured wrist; condition satisfactory. Witten-Hannah and Barraclough are still under observation, and will undergo another X-ray to-morrow. The other two whose injuries did not necessitate their retention in hospital, are Maurice. Boyd,' husband of Mary Boyd, Karori, and John Scotney, Wellington. The first 12 miles of the journey from Glen Lyon to Timaru of the injured took two hours, stated the St. John Ambulance driver, Mr A. J. Meikle, who brought them to Timaru. The station road is little better than a track in,places, and is dangerous for a large vehicle. The ambulance left Glen Lyon at -3 o’clock in the morning, and arrived at Timaru at 9.30. Evacuee from Scotland Roy Dickson, one of the victims, was evacuated from his parents’ home in Scotland during the war. At Wellington he completed his schooling at .Hutt Valley High School. From there he attended Victoria University College and graduated as a Bachelor of Science last year. His father, Mr Peter Dickson, teaches science in a Glasgow school. Stanley Alloway, the other victim, is the son of Mr and Mrs C. H. Alloway, of Karori. He was employed as a cadet in the engineering branch of the Wellington Post Office. James Croxton, who suffered spinal injuries, is a meteorologist employed by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. He had five years' service in the Islands, and was making the climbing trip during three months’ leave. He is a member of the Tararua Tramping Club, and an experienced climber. At Christrrias, 1937, he and two others made the first ascent of Peak Great Unknown, in the Southern Alps.

Croxford and Round continued the ascent to the top of the waterfall, where it had been hoped to lower the bodies. The two policemen had a tricky climb across the face of the glacier, but could not see the bodies Because of the tremendously difficult nature of the country it is considered practically impossible to make a recovery The guide told Constable Round that the only chance would be to lower men by a rope over the bluff and that, even then, the possibilities of finding the bodies would be remote Bowie’s party said that Constable Round had left the top encampment early on Saturday morning to return to the Hermitage via Sealey Range On the way down to Glen Lyon Station, Sergeant Croxford and Constable Round met Sergeant Spencer’s party at the .Dobson Hut. Sergeant Spencer, who was expected do arrive back in Timaru to-night, was proceeding to the head of the valley to ascertain if all persons had left safely. Constable Round paid a tribute to the party of men who accompanied him from ..Fairlie to act as stretcher bearers. 5 * On arrival at the encampment it was found that the heavy truck could negotiate the country and that bearers were not necessary for the trip down the valley. The men proved useful however, in assisting with the injured. All slept in the open air. First Statement The party was making a direct descent through soft snow when the slide occurred, according to the first statement made by one of the climbers on his return to Timaru on Saturday morning. This climber, F. F. Evison, of Wellington, who was the leader of the party involved.in the accident, had little to say when interviewed in the Timaru Public Hospital. Evison, one of the eight who were uninjured, had taken a rear position, in the line of 19 for the descent of tne snow slope. In a statement to the Timaru police, Evison said that on January 1 19 of a party of 23 which had spent nine days in the Hopkins River Valley left the head of the valley at 8 o’clock in the morning to cross to the Hermitage via Barron Saddle. Ten minutes after leaving the summit of Neuman Range on the descent into Dobson Valley 11 persons became involved in a Slide of about 1000 feet. The slide, which occurred about 11 o’clock, terminated on rock. The remaining eight climbers, continued Evison, proceeded down, the slope until they reached the bottom about mid-day. Two of the party were found dead, and those who had been injured were made as comfortable as possible. A messenger was despatched up Dobson Valley to locate another party which had passed about two hours before. A second messenger was sent down to Glen Lyon Station. Four Tararua trampers, with one of the messengers, reached Glen Lyon first and despatched help to the scene of the accident. Medical assistance arrived at the floor of the valley about 3 o'clock next morning. Although in charge of the* party, Evison agreed that he was not in the lead at the time of the slide, having taken the leader’s normal position at the realtor such a descent. Members Not Roped “The-members were not roped, and were making a direct descent through soft snow behind one another,” said Evison. “ I was about 50 feet behind when the slide started. Eleven of the 19 went down. I don’t know if the