MISSING TRAMPERS

Wairarapa Daily Times, 16 January 1932, Page 5

MISSING TRAMPERS

KEITH LONEY’S STORY.

. CHRISTCHURCH, Friday. Keith Lsney, the surviving memucr of the party of Hampers of whom H. Smith and C. B. Robbins lost their lives in an interview at Bealey, said that they walked into a howling blizzard on Sunday and could not see. Tiiat night they tried to reach the top of the Harman Pass, but were driven back and became separated. Finding that he had lost his way, he curled up under a rock and spent the night there... On Monday, he was on the face of the mountain all day and several times thought he was gone, owing to the intense cold and lack of food. He spent the night under a rock. Tuesday broke fine and warm. The sun, he says, saved his life. He regained the track, and, retracing his steps, found Smith beside a rock, where he had apfaiirently frozen to death. He had seemingly fallen while trying to scale steep face and had lost his pack. Not being able to find Robbins, Honey eaicklie decided to go back to the ParkHut. It took him all day to get there and on the way he met Wilson by chance. Wilson cared for him and then set out to Bealey for assistance. Though it was his first experience of mountaineering, Loney said, their plans had been well-made, and they carried plenty of food and clothing. When they walked into the blizzard, lie asked the others to go on and leave him, but Smith said: “No, we will fight it out together.” “We kept pegging away,” Loney went on to say, * • out gradually became lost. I lost contact with the others and made an effort to get over on my own, but soon gave that up. Apparently Smith and Robbins touch with each other. It was all' r develish hard luck and might have happened to anyone.” Loney attributed his salvation to the fact that he carried an extra blanket and to his lucky meeting with Wilson, as he was all in and could not have carried on much longer.—(P.A.)

INQUEST OPENS.

CHEISTCHUBCH, Friday

Mr. Iv. Loney repeated his story at the inquest held at Bealey to-night, before Mr. M. Fitzgerald, J.P., and a jury. The following verdict was returned: “We find that Harold Smith and Charles Bernard Bobbins died at Harman’s Pass, on or about January 21, while . endeavouring to cross over the pass the Carrington Hut, the cause of death being exposure, following exhaustion in a storm.” A rider was added commending the work of the search parties, particularly that of Messrs. J. P. Wilson, H. M. Sweney, F. W. Cichrane and Constable Bobb. Sympathy was extended to the relatives of the unfortunate trampers. — (P.A.)