RUAPEHU TRAGEDY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume IV, Issue 160, 18 June 1936, Page 6

RUAPEHU TRAGEDY.

No Reply From Tourist Department. TELEPHONE HAD BEEN ASKED FOR. Press . As^ociation-^Copyrlgbt. June it. An A adjourned inquest was held to-day before th'e coroner, Mr. A. S. Laird, conqejrjjuifig the death of James Alexander ooidon, solicitor, w'ho-' was drowned in the crater lake on Mount Ruapehu. D. Bayfield, manager of the, Chateau ionganro, stated that a notice was posted up-' giving Hints to mountain climbers. cordon's party notified its intention of climbing. i The cnief guide, Carl Risberg, was recalled and said he experimented two daysafter the accident by sliding on a similar graded- slope and found that ice axes would not nold or make the slightest impression in the ice. Even with crampons and rope they could not hold a >3 stone man from sliding down. W. S. Rennie, former secretary of the Ruapehu Ski' Club, gave evidence that 'the-Tourist Department Had been repeat-t-'dL approached to have more equipment at the huts and to have the huts con-•.-iecied by telephone to the Chateau. The dub offered assistance in erecting a telephone line but received no' response from the department. Each member of a climbing party should be equipped with an ice axe and the party, should, be. roped, together if there was a danger of sliding. The finding was that Gordon was accidentally killed, death resulting from internal injuries, shock and exposure. The coroner said he considered Gqrdon had an I ttack of syncope or fainting that rendered him unable to attempt to save aimself. ,v

The coroner highly commended the Work of Messrs. A. Sandel and J. Bryan and Gifide. Risberg in the recovery of the body.