Helicopter Used On Last Day Of Search

Press, Issue 31095, 25 June 1966, Page 1

Helicopter Used On Last Day Of Search

(Frbm Our Own Reporter)

ARTHUR’S PASS, June 24.

“I wish they had called on us sooner,” said Mr D. J. Eskew, of Los Angeles, pilot of the Bell helicopter which was used today, the last day of the Mount Rolleston search and rescue operation.

“Yesterday, we were flying in winds of up to 60 m.p.h.,” he said, but declined to make further comment. “We were very glad to help.”

Last night, the helicopter, owned by Graham Stewart and Company, game packers and exporters, of Christchurch, was offered by Mr Stewart to the S.A.R. group, through the Christchurch police. An urgent call for the helicopter was sent out early this morning after news of the avalanche on the Otira face reached Arthur’s Pass. Across Range

The helicopter was at Okuru, South Westland. Piloted by Mr Eskew, a former instructor in the United States Army Aviation School, it left about 7.30 a.m. A half-hour was spent at Hokitika. The aircraft, which

can fly at 20,000 ft and at more than 90 miles an hour, went

across the Kelly range to Arthur’s Pass.

The morning was brilliantly clear, with no wind. But the wind was expected to rise in the early afternoon and cloud to close in.

On Reconnaissance The arrival of the helicopter, set down on a graded strip by the road near the alpine museum in the township, was a welcome sight to the S.A.R. headquarters. After a short briefing, the helicopter flew off on a reconnaissance of Mount Rolleston with Mr T. Chinn, leader of the support party, and Mr J. Rider, leader of the Invercargill high-climbing team, as observers.

The helicopter was back within half an hour. Mr Eskew, who has only been in New Zealand six weeks, flew more than 10 sorties. He flew the helicopter back and forth across the Otira face four

times, and was as close as 14ft to the vertical drop of 4000 ft.

He and his co-pilot, Mr J. Hensham, saw the rock where the stranded climbers had sheltered. They saw a rope, which they believed to be anchored at both ends, across a snow chute to the rock. They saw no other sign of the missing climbers.

Put Down Supplies

The helicopter settled momentarily on the south side of the summit to put down supplies to the top Climbing party. This team, led by Mr B. Hearfield, had gone on to the summit shortly after first light but had been unable to carry out any face rescue work because of the critical avalanche conditions. They did not then know of the death of Mr Harrison in the Otira slide avalanche, 2000 ft below, but learned by radio later in the morning.