IMMEDIATE AID WANTED

Chronicle (Levin), 22 November 1946, Page 5

IMMEDIATE AID WANTED

Press Assn.-

Signal From Wrecked Dakota PIFFiCULTES OF RESCUERS

By Telegraph

Copyright

Received Friday, 9.45 a.m. LONDON, Nov. 21. "Immediate help wanted" was the signal received at Lyons Airport this afternoon from the wrecked Dakota. Earlier it was reported in Pgrjs that an American piane had located the Dakota'sAvreckage near _yft. Vert, east of Bardonneccha. It stated that the crew of the plane which made the discovery was signalling the rescuers, who were toiling uo precipitous alpine slopes. The Dakota was on a special flight from Munich to Istres, near Marseilles. Later, however, the United States Army stated that there was no official confirmation that the Dakota Had been located. The United States Army official at Orly Airport, who first announced that the wreckage had been sighted, said he was not certain that this was correct. The United States Army announcement added that SuperPortresses and British planes, capable of staying in the air for some time, had been instructed to remain over the area ready to drop sup•plies as soon as the wreckage was found. Italian rescue parties, including axperienced alpinists familiar with che mountairjsjde, who set out from •the mountaip village of Bardonecchia, are pressing forward in the face of a blizzard. It is reported from Chambery ihat another rescue mission of Trench mouptaineers is heading for ,he spot which was identified by a radio message from the plane as oeing just below the peak of Mt. _,etenard (11,000 feet). Altogether ten United States and several R.A.F. planes, with oue French aircraft, are now searching ,or the missing Dakota. United States Army headquarters in Germany announced that a radio message from the wrecked aircraft suaotd tnat eiglit uf the eleven passengers and members of the crew were stretcher cases. .v/Ledical supplies were urgently needed. American ofhcers fear it will be difhcult to get the injured out overland before they die of exposure. It would be impossible to iand doctors near the Dakota beoause of high winds.