FATALITY ON MOUNT EGMONT

Otago Witness, Issue 3352, 12 June 1918, Page 26

FATALITY ON MOUNT EGMONT

A MOUNTAIN TRAGEDY. NEW PLYMOUTH, Juno 4. A shocking fatality occurred on Mount Egmont yesterday, when two men named Arthur Ambury and Gourlay were killed, arid a third named M'Donald injured. They fell over a cliff on Humphries' Castle. Mr Ambury leaves a widow and four young children. Mr Gourlay, whose age was 20 years, belonged to Christchurch, and was employed in the Government offices. Mr M'Donald is employed in the State Fire Office. Search parties, under Guide Murphy, with the New Plymouth police, went "out early this morning to recover the bodies, and they reached the place where the men fell about 10 o'clock. The bodies were fearfully mutilated, and death must have been instantaneous. Guide Murphy strapped the bodies in canvas sheets, and others hauled them up the cliff by ropes. The task of oonveying the bodies back to the Mountain House -was very difficult owing to the dead weight and the slippery _ nature of the surface. About 20 men assisted in relays, and returned to the Mountain House about 1.30 p.m. The bodies were then brought to New Plymouth by motor lorry, arriving j about 5.30 p.m. CHRISTCHURCH.. June 4. W. E. Gourlay, one of the victims of the Mount Egmont fatality, was a son of Mr E. Gourlay, a linotype operator on the Press. He headed, the list for the Christchurch district in the Junior Civil Service examination, and entered the Christchurch office of the Lands and Survey Department in 1914 as a cadet, and later was transferred to Auckland, eventually being transferred about six months ago to New Plymouth. He enlisted for active service a little timo ago, and at tho time of his death was awaiting medical examination. AMBURY'S HEROIC ACTION. The following particulars of the accident which occurred on the slopes of Mount Egmont on Monday afternoon, resulting in the death cf Mr Arthur Hamerton Ambury, of New Plymouth, and Mr W. E. Gourlay, late of Christchurch, are given in Tuesday's Taranaki Herald: —"A party consisting of Messrs Gourlay, R. B. Macdonald, and Noel Fookes left the old North Egmont Mountain House at 6.30 on Monday morning, and arrived at tho top at 12.15, haying found the' climbing heavy, and it being necessary to cut steps in the ice for a considerable distance. They started back at 12.15, and after descending for a short distance commenced to glissade. Macdonald slipped and became- unable to control his descent, with tho result that ho slid for about 200 ft, and after checking his progress with his alpen- . stock, brought up against a large block j of ice. He was dazed and helpless, and. as it was found afterwards, had injured his back, besides reoeiving a general shaking and bruising. Fookes cut steps out to tho precarious position where his comrade .

was lving, and, binding tho latter to him with a pair of puttees, succeeded in getting bac,. to the track, a feat which was attended with considerable difficulty. Gourlay was then some distance behind, and Pookes started to help Macdonald down the track. On going to about the 7000 ft level they 6a w Messrs O. G. Botrill and Mackay, members 01 another party, whicn also included Mr A. IT. Ambury and his wife. Gourlay being still some distance behind. . Fookes left. Macdonald and went to his assistance, while Bottrill and Mackay ascended to Macdonald, and the three were ; roped together with the puttees. After ! descending another 500 ft, they saw Ambury below and called to him to bring a rope -which he had. Macdonald, who was brought to on Tuesday mornvng, dteawibed what then happened as follows: —" By the time he (Mr Ambury) arrived, Fookes and Gourlay had managed to get down nearly to us; we were discussing whether the whole six of us should be roped together. Just then a shout from Mr Bottrill attracted my attention, and 1 saw Goiirlay. who was directlv above Ambury, sliding down the ioe. The latter had an alpenstock and braced himself by sticking it in the ice and taking a purchase with hisi feet in order to stop Gourlay. The other members of the party agree that it was an absolutely heroic thing to do, as ho had only one chance in a thousand of stopping Gourlay. and he must have known it, _as he had ascended the mountain many times before. The impact of Gourlay loosened Ambury's hold, and both slid about 600 ft before going over a precipice to the left of Humphries's Castlo when looking from the top." Ambury's alpenstock was afterwards found to be broken.