Rescue Party Moves Injured Climbers

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30957, 13 January 1966, Page 1

Rescue Party Moves Injured Climbers

(From Our Own Reporter) TIMARU, January 12. Rescued from a snow cave on a precipitous 2000 ft slope of Mount Jellicoe where they had been secured by ropes since about 8 a.m. the previous day, two injured climbers were this afternoon lowered to another site where it was proposed they should remain overnight.

The climbers were injured yesterday morning when they fell on rocks on an ice-encrusted ridge about 300 ft below the summit of the 9300 ft Mount Jellicoe.

They are Miss Beverley Price, of 184 Mount Albert road. Auckland, and a fellow teacher. (Jus Powell, aged 40. of Porter crescent. Auckland, who had been climbing with Mr I). Drake, of Fairlie.

Miss Price is thought to have fractured a thigh, and Mr Powell suffered concussion and a head injury. Both also have superficial injuries.

They are now 200 ft to 300 ft from their original position.

They were moved by high-level-rescue gear employed for the first time in the Mount Cook area.

“They are down off the rock section and on to the snow, which is all to the good,” the Mount Cook National Park’s chief ranger (Mr M. L. Burke} said tonight. Medical Aid The climbers were given medical attention by Dr. J R. McKinnon, a noted

climber, who was taken by helicopter to the upper Hooker valley at 5.30 a.m. today and put down with a rescue party under Mr B Hear field, of Christchurch, between the Hooker and Gar diner huts. Dr. McKinnon walked from the Gardiner hut to attend Miss Price and Mr Powell. High winds today ruled out the possibility of rescue by helicopter, and to bring Miss Price and Mr Powell over rugged terrain may take two to three days unless the helicopter can be used tomorrow. Mr Burke thinks this is > quite on the cards if the wea ther remains fine In that case the climbers will be flown out from the Empress hut level It was expected at this

stage, he said, that Miss Price and Mr Powell would be moved down tomorrow either to the Empress hut or the Gardiner hut. Progress would depend largely on the weather. “We may get them back to the Hooker hut on Friday,” Mr Burke said. The Hooker hut, at 3700 ft, jis on. the west side of the valley and at the foot of Copeland Pass, some three hours from the Hermitage. Gardiner hut (5600 ft is four hours from the Hooker hut. 69 In Rescue Sixty-nine climbers are taking part in the rescue. Of these 29 were at the head of the Hooker valley during today’s highly co-ordinated and efficient rescue moves. The others are being held in reserve to help to carry the injured down the lower sections of the valley if this becomes necessary. At 11 a.m. two members of Ranger B. L. Jenkinson’s : man party reached Miss Price and Mr Powell, who had spent a comfortable night in their crude shelter. The party had left the Par’. Board headquarters at noon the previous day and spent the night in the Gardiner hut. Forced Back Piloted by Mr R. Wilson, a helicopter—the first to be used in the Mount Cook region in a rescue bid, was forced to return to the Mount Cook airstrip after flying over

the Hooker valley for about an hour this morning in boisterious winds. The machine may be used to ferry equipment and reinforcements into the rescue zone.

At 12.30 p.m. medical supi plies and stretchers were dropped near the Empress hut Iby a Cessna ski-equipped aircraft. Because of turbulence the drop was made from 11,000 ft. The aircraft was flown by the senior pilot of Mount Cook Air Services, Ltd. (Mr D. Middleton). The equipment was recovered by a ground party, and some was taken to the top party. Carrying rescue gear, a party of eight under Mr Hearfield left the Park Board’s headquarters on Tuesday night for the Empress hut, which is at 8300 ft and two hours and a half to three hours from the Gardiner hut. At 2.30 p.m. Mr Burke reported that it was making its waj’ up the last slope towards Ranger Jenkinson's party. Another party of 12, led by Mr V. Vervoorn, who is employed by the Park Board, left at 4.15 a.m. to link up with Mr Hearfield’s section. All Grouped All parties are now grouped at the Empress hut or higher. Sergeant R. H. McMurray and Dr. McKinnon reached the Hermitage area at 12.15 a.m. with equipment and medical supplies. They were the' spearhead of a party of 17 members of the Timaru Search and Rescue Organisation | under Mr P. Cuff. This party, equipped with radio, is stand-1 ing by at the Park Board's j headquarters.