EVIDENCE OF GUIDES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26782, 27 May 1948, Page 4

EVIDENCE OF GUIDES

Inquest on Copland Pass Victims

CORONER RESERVES VERDICT

P.A. TIMARU, May 25. The searching examination of Guide Michael Joseph Sullivan who led the ill-fated party across the Copland Pass on April 6-7 was continued this afternoon when the inquest into the deaths of Thelma Leone Jefcoate, Christine Margaret Sullivan, both aged 19, nurses of Dunedin, and Joan Gabriel Bust, aged 29, a clerk of Christchurch, was resumed before the coroner, Mr M. M. Enting,. J.P. After further evidence had been heard, the coroner said he would need time to consider his verdict. When the adjournment was taken yesterday, Guide Sullivan was still in the box and to-day under examination by Mr J. A. Wicks, of Christchurch, who appeared for the relatives of Miss Bust, he described the conditions at the time the party halted at the ridge where they spent the night.

He said that at 8 p.m. blizzard conditions —rain, sleet, and wind—were experienced, the wind being the worst factor. At times the lights of the Hermitage were visible, but he considered it futile to use the electric torches which the party carried to send distress signals. When Miss Jefcoate complained of pains in her chest he did not think that they were caused by exhaustion, but that she was more likely to be suffering from heart trouble. He said that the party was equipped to deal with such an emergency as a sprained ankle, but not a broken leg. Knowing the calibre of the party and their previous experience, he considered that one guide was ample for the trip. Witness said that when the party left the Douglas Hut Misses Sullivan and Jefcoate were clad in shorts, but when he noticed that Miss Jefcoate was not travelling very quickly he suggested that she should put on long trousers. She did so, and on his suggestion Miss Sullivan followed suit just before entering the pass. When the party reached the top of the pass hwas engaged in cutting steps from the top down the Hooker side for approximately two hours. The rocks were “ plastered ” or covered in ice, while on the upper ridges the crevices and hollows were filled with snow drifts, and the going was slow. He had made the trip between 20 and 30 times, and had never taken.a sleeping bag. Born in Mountains Replying to the coroner, Witness said he was born in the mountains and had been guiding parties since 1938. It would not be practicable to carry and operate a wireless receiving 1 set on such a trip. There was no regulation clothing to be worn on mountain trips but he thought that woollen underclothing was more suitable than cotton. He noticed the first deterioration in the weather between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m.. or six miles from the Douglas hut, five hours after they had left it. Assuming that none of the party took ill it would have taken between two and three hours to return to the scrub on the west side. Harry Herbert Ayres, guide at the Hermitage, who with Guide Forsythe, first arrived at the scene of the tragedy, said the position was 1800 feet above the Hooker hut. “ In my opinion, the position in which the bodies were lying was the best on this particular slope,” he said. “ Bettei- shelter could have been obtained two to three hundred feet further down under a rock bluff, if they could have been moved that far. If the party had been subjected to the severe cold wind from the south-east experienced by us they could not have lived as long as we were informed they had lived in view of the apathetic condition of the girls. It is my opinion that Guide Sullivan did all that he could for them.” Andrew Robert Michael Bowie, chief guide at the Hermitage, said that the party was equipped with normal and good gear that would be carried by a party on such a trip, and were clothed in a normal manner. “ I have examined the lists of the clothes stripped from the bodies by the police, and in my opinion it would be the normal clothing worn by any party on such a trip. The party had been following the usual route from the top of the pass, and the point at which the bodies were found was about 5800 feet, which was about 1200 feet from the top of the pass. Under the conditions we experienced I would have followed the same route. It was found that if the girls could have been moved about 200 feet down the slope they would have obtained considerably better shelter from the elements than that in which we found them.” Danger of Slip Asked if Miss Jefcoate could have been shifted to the rocky shelter 200 to 300 feet below, witness replied. “ Yes, but not after dark. If anyone had slipped in the area where the bodies were found, the party would have gone down several hundreds of feet over rock bluffs.” Bowie said he did not know of any reason why the clothing found in the rucksacks should not have been used. Witness said that the guide was always the leader of a party, and his decision would be final, although it was customary to discuss plans with a party. A guide was also responsible for seeing that equipment was in order, and should know the climbing ability of a party. The coroner asked what qualifications were necessary before one could become a guide and witness replied: “None at all—nor does a guide require to be registered. There are no rules and regulations governing the guiding of mountain parties.” Bowie added that he thought woollen underclothing should be worn when traversing the mountains. From his experience, the weather did not change without warning near the top of the Copland Pass. Constable E. J. Trappit who took possession of the clothes from the bodies said that extfa clothing was in two of the ruc-sacks which were recovered. He had found a thick woollen jersey in the pack of Miss Jefcoate. “ It will be necessary to give careful consideration to the finding,” said the coroner when the inquest concluded at 5.45 p.m.