REASSURING NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26692, 11 February 1948, Page 6

REASSURING NEWS

ACCIDENT ON MOUNTAIN AIRCRAFT FLIES OVER AREA P.A. TIMARU, Feb. 10. Two parties are speeding to the rescue of Miss Ruth Adams, of Christchurch, who on Monday fell 150 feet down an ice slope near the summit of Mount la Perouse (10,101 ft) and who is lying in a bivouac suffering, as far as is known, from a broken arm, concussion and shock. Miss Adams is being cared for by two members of the party, Mr E. P. Hillary, of 730 Remuera road, Auckland, and Guide M. Sullivan, of the Fox Glacier. The fourth member,. Guide H. Ayres, of the Hermitage, who brought news of the accident back to the Hermitage on Monday, is returning with a rescue party. The four set off on Monday morning to climb la Perouse after having completed the ascent of Mount Cook last week. The only contact with la Perouse so far was made this morning when Mr H. R. Wigley, of Timaru, dropped a stretcher and a tent on the mountain slope. "All 0.K." written on the snow after the third trip over the area was reassuring to the pilot who, at personal risk, had to manoeuvre the Tiger Moth at a minimum height of 10,000 ft through eddies around the the peak, which made conditions turbulent.

A stretcher, sleeping bags, and provisions were dropped in preparationfor the arrival ,of the first rescue party, which is expected to reach the mountain early to-morrow morning. Guide Ayres said to-day that Miss Adams slipped when the rope attaching her to Guide Sullivan snapped and she catapaulted about 150 ft down an ice face. At 9.30 o’clock this morning he left the Hermitage to return to la Perouse with a rescue party comprising seven members from the New Zealand Alpine Club and the Canterbury Mountaineering Club. It is expected that they will reach the party comprising Chief Guide M. Bowie and Guides A. Mace, ,T. A. Forsyth and H. D. Ashurst at la Perouse in the early hours of to-morrow. Guide Bowie’s party left the Hermitage at 2.30 o’clock this morning. The first objective of the rescue parties will be to get the injured girl off the mountain before the weather changes. After the descent of la Perouse the party will make for the Fox Glacier by way of the Cook River Valley.. The trip down this valley is a rough one and sufficient to test the skill of an experienced mountaineer, but it is considered that this route will be quicker than traversing the snow-covered slopes on the Hermitage side. It is expected that the rescue partv will, not reach the bush level until Fridav.' and bv that time four men from Franz Joseph will have cleared a track through the dense bush. Aircraft are to be used to drop supplies to the rescue party on its way out and this will probably be done from Franz Joseph.