NO TRACE OF CLIMBERS

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31096, 27 June 1966, Page 1

NO TRACE OF CLIMBERS

Helicopter Looks At Face Again The belief that the four climbers stranded on the Otira face of Mt. Rolleston were dead was confirmed by a helicopter survey of the mountain on Saturday afternoon. There was no trace of the missing men.

The search controllers and the experts in the climbing teams worked out a plan to lower Mr W. Huber in a harness on a wire rope from the helicopter but the plan was abandoned when it was found there was no sign of life.

The helicopter, piloted by Mr J. Eskew and with Messrs Huber and P. Farrell aboard, took off at 3.7 p.m. and made several sweeps of the mountain side. It was believed that the missing men had been buried under deep snow. The funeral service for Mr John Harrison, aged 34, a[ commercial artist, of 270 Waimairi road, Upper Riccarton,: who was killed when the advance rescue party was overwhelmed by an avalanche on Thursday evening, will be' held at St Mary’s Anglican Church, Merivale, tomorrow. The last of the searchers to leave Arthur’s Pass were two rangers from the Westland National Park, Messrs R. Nichol and D. Cowie, who left yesterday for Franz Josef.

J They had worked in the salvaging of valuable equipment which had been used in the rescue attempt. Mr Croft paid a tribute to all associated in the search. A very’ important group usually in the background away from prominence was the Amateur Radio Emergency Corps which played a vital part in the operation and they deserved the highest praise, said Mr Croft. RESCUERS THANKED The father of Bruce Ferguson, one of the climbers who lost his life, has expressed i his thanks to those who helped in the rescue parties. Mr F. G. Ferguson said yesterday that the sorrow of his own family had been; deepened by the tragic death: of Mr Harrison, who had; been assisting in the search.

‘We wish to say how much we fee! for Mrs Harrison and her children,” Mr Ferguson said. “We would also like to offer our sympathy to the friends and relatives of Michael Harper and Jeffrey Wilby who are not known to us personally. “Mrs Robertson, and her children, John and Anne, wish to join with my wife, Lois, my daughter, Lorayne, and myself in expressing our sincere thanks to all those who shared with us the anxiety and grief of the last week.

“Especialty, we remember with the deepest gratitude all those brave men who formed the rescue parties. They worked untiringly under atrocious conditions, and we are convinced that no effort was spared in trying to save Colin and Bruce and their friends. We are convinced that under the circumstances nothing further could possibly have been done. “It is our intention to arrange for a memorial service in due course,” Mr Ferguson said. “The details of this will be published later.”