Bodies Of Copland Pass Victims Recovered

Chronicle (Levin), 9 April 1948, Page 7

Bodies Of Copland Pass Victims Recovered

TLMARU, April S. Thc bodies of the thrce vieliius of Ihe mountaineering tragedy at .tio, , Copland Pass on Tuesday, Atisses Joau I Bust, ot Christchureli, • Christine Ma'garet Bullivan, of Dunedin; and Thelmu ueone .Tefeoate, of Dunedin, who wene .•auglit iu a blizzaru wlieu crossing from the Fox Glacier to the lleiniitage, Ai'. t.'ook, wero brought to tlie Hermitage at 5..'!0 tonight and lator to Timaru. An atteiupt.hud been uiade vesterday to bring tlie bodies iii, b'ut with nigbi. falliug and the ice in a daugerous cou dition it was decided to' loave them yitil today. At (3 9 'clock this monring | lix guides undor Cliief Guide -M. Bowie i icft t'or tlie scene aud a little later wero I'ollowed by a party of seven under 'onstalile K. J. Traxipitt. A fairly iieavy frost made eonditiou; m the ieelield treaclierous and only tlie guides wero allowed tcf approacii tlio sccne. The jouniey to below.the ice .iiid the snow level was extremely ! uazardous aud the Hookor Hut was nol ■ •cached tuiti l 1.80 p.m; Alet there- b\ ihe constable's party good progress was made in spite of the difficuJt trip across riie moraine wall of the Ilooker Valley. j From there record time was made i.*i | ieacliiug the Hermitage. At tlie j Hermitage a truck conveyed the bodies l.o Timaru wliere an •"imjuest will be opoued tomorretv. When seen at the l'lennitage today Cuide M. Bullivan attributed his survival to the ' fact tliat lie had workeil eoustantly on niassaging the victims when they were uo longer able to continue, aud b\' so doing had stinlulateil. his own circulation. After the lirst niember of the pafty died the other women had told hiiu tliat they wefe comfortable, but-in a short time tliei-r coudition deteriorated rapidly and in spite of his elforts to revive them they I had died. By sheer wilipower" he had | thrown oi'f the effect of the iiumbing I cold. Bealising tlie fatal consequences i of giving in to r.he almost qverpowering | desire to sit and rest he pushed 011 to I the Hooker Hut. This journey, nortiially I aceoinplished in an liour, took liim | four and a-lialf liours, such was his I ohvsical state. I