Ranges tramping alarm
PA Wellington The police last evening rescued an injured 13-year-old scout from the Akatarawas, north of Wellington, and criticised the policy that allowed boys of his age to tramp in the ranges without adult supervision. The boy, Andrew Freeston, a member of a four-member 'party from Maungarakei, fell and gashed his leg badly on Saturday night. Because they had lost their compass, two of his companions spent two nights in the bush while trying to make their way out to get help. After the boy had been brought out on a stretcher yesterday, Constable L. Mumford, police representative on the Mountain Safety Council, said, “That section of the mountains is one of the most; rugged in the area. It is far) too tough for kids their age on their own.
“They should never be alowed to go in there if there s no adult with them.” Constable Mumford said he vould ask the Mountain safety Council at its meetng tomorrow to recommend hat the scouts change their tolicy. When Andrew Freeston ’ell the boys were heading ’or the Kapakapanui hut. Secause he could not walk md as only two of their hree torches were working, hey stayed the night in the >pen. The next morning the I >ther three members of the [ ;roup took the injured boy Andrew to the hut. Christopher Quinn, aged [ 12, stayed with the injured i >oy while the others, John durtagh, aged 11, and the ;roup leader, Graham Mit:hell, who is 14, went for teip. But they had lost their :ompass and instead of takng about two hours to reach lelp, they took 24 hours.
The police were called in I yesterday morning after the! two boys had spent a second night in the open. “It was lucky there was I
good weather, specially on the first night when the injured bos' was not in the hut,” Constable Mumford said.
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Press, 17 April 1979, Page 6
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318Ranges tramping alarm Press, 17 April 1979, Page 6
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