NINE BOYS OVERDUE IN RANGES

Chronicle (Levin), 27 May 1946, Page 4

NINE BOYS OVERDUE IN RANGES

Press Association

SEARCH PROVES FRtJITLESS DIFFICULT COUNTRY COMBED

Bv Teleqravh —

HASTINGS, May 27. j. There was still no news at noon: to-day of a party of nino. boys, all j senior pupils of the Hastings High School, who are ;'two and a-half days overdue in returning from a| trahiping expedition in the Kaweka ranges. • , The party set out last Monday to j cover - some .extrefhely, rough country in the ranges, and were to come ; out on t,o the Taihape road at noon on Friday. A search party Set out! bn Saturday night and an aerial! search was piade yesterday, but no| trace of the missing party was found. The search was contmueti t:o-day but without success. ~ 1 The range runs south-east from: near .Lake Taupo toward the Napier-Taihape road. A week's , heavy rain, and stortoy conditions j in the ranges, has caused rivers to j rise, and it is thought that the j party is isolated by flood waters. t Those in the party are:— ■ j i Gordon Martin, son of Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Martin, Brunswick Street, Hastings. j David Bathgate, son of Dr. D. h. \ Bathgate, Hastings. ; Bruce Comrie, son of Dr. E. V. ; Comrie, Hastings. j john Waymouth, son of the Rev, S. F. Waymouth, Havelock North. ! John Joll, son of Mr. and Mrs. J. Joll, Napier Road, Havelock North. Jack Garrick, son of Mr. and Mrs.: A. T. Garrick, Queen Street, Hastings, leader of the party. i John Nimon, son of Mr. and Mrs. j J. J. Nimon, Havelock North. , Ray Custance, son of Mr. W. Cus- ] •,ance, Mairangi Street, Hastings, j Kingsley Barley, son of Mr. and Mrs-. Ralph Barley, Miller Street, Hastings . Most of the boys are prefects of Hastings High School. and all are vell equipped and carrying ample ffiod. There ages range from 16 ro '.7 years. .All have had previous -.ramping experience, and some of he boys have covered the ridge which it was proposed to negotiate ast W66k Garrick, the leader of the party, is an experienced tramper. well acquainted with the ranges, and an efficient Rover Scout. . Leaving their chartered bus on uhe Taihape Road on Monday, the boys struck in for the Manson hut in the back country of the Ngamatia station and intended mossing the ranges to the Kaweka hut, and following a -route which would bring them out at Kuripatonga, on the Taihape road. They would need to cross the headwaters of' the Ngaruoro River, as well as numerous other streams and tributaries. Settlers-say that all of these have been in flood after the rain, and most of them could not be forded. Two parties, comprising members of the Heretaunga Tramping Club, -\nd one party of Hawke's Bay Rover Scouts, set out last night on \n organised search. There was no trace of the missing party at Manson hut, which was one of theiri objectives. Three machines of the Hawke's Bay and East Coast Aero Club made a search of the country to-day, but saw nothing of the missing trampers. The search parties are following the route which the boys intended to take, and will come out on the Taihape road to-moriow night. Police are organising search parties to go into the ranges to-mor-row.