EXPERIENCES AND HARDSHIPS OF SEARCHERS

Chronicle (Levin), 21 March 1949, Page 4

EXPERIENCES AND HARDSHIPS OF SEARCHERS

The numher of private persons who rallied round and volunteered , aid, often at personal expense and inconvenience, was one of '(the outstanding features of the search operations following the disastrous air crash at Waikanae on Friday, .says a "Chroniele" reporter who was with the main party on both days. Even then, however, they proved: afi too few for .the giganti'c tagk which confronted them on 'both .days. Many pf them were unaccustonied to the type ,of speedy climbing and bush work demanded of .them, but -all pulled T their rwejghtr.tp the'- finish. -.••• .■ ,\A 'de'arth Pf infprrnation -during the first,' day^s Joperatipns. was 'the most unfprtunate feature. Whatever inf ormation was available at Paraparaumu or Wellington, little • of it found its way. to .the searchers i themselves, who were not m posses-' sion of any maps and reiied solely pn the memory of the police official in charge, who had seen a map at Paraparaumu, and rpn - the knowledge: 'of ;the- residents in the area, principally' Mr, K. D. J ones and his son. ThiS resulted in considerable .delay while , councils were held and -pther . par4es. who had come in . frpm different areais were interviewed."' Then began the fight against receding light and the

gathering mist. Very few members of the party were adequately equipped or provisioned on -that firgt day, and the wisdom of the leadei 5 insisting on a return to pas'e wa'S more forcibly realised the next day when the nature of the eountry ahead was revealed. A night in the open would undoubtedly have been necessary. The majority of the searchers fiad left base in fine weather and were of the opiniqn that the distance was comparatively short. It was nptiped that sqmp of the police frpm pufside areas wore street shoes, they being unper the impression when thgy were sent hurriedly to the seen'e that the crash had occurred a short distance from the road qver paddocks., "I hope the cpmmissipner wifi get me a riew pair of shpes," Said one balefully regarding 'fhe sole which had peel-r ed from the heel forwards after he had completed two ascents. The pqlice, traffic inspectors and Wellington Free Ambulance drivers were well to the fpre amqng the many who did excellent jobs. The finding of the crashed plane and the tortuous descent with the vu> tims did npt mean the end of the tasks ailotted the police, and when the rest pf fhe party were visualis,ing a weefeend in be^, and looking bpck on a job well dqne, they wer.e discussing the next task — the probability of their being required to go back during the weekend t.o investigate the finding qf the Ventura aircraft, which crashed a mile further into the bqsh three years ago. . Manhandling heavy walkie-talkie equipment was one of the qfienviable" tasks assigned to the Army personnel. The advantage of the equipment in the type of eountry over which thp party "was opqrating was not very apparent, and when it was most needed— on the arrival pf the party at the scene— repeated attempts to get messages to base were fruitl'es's, and a runner had tp be dispatched .with the* first news of the fate of the plane's occupqnts. Ag stated before, thV volunteers were many but still too few and very fatigued, the majority- having made the ascent and descent- the previous night with little food or sleep between. Others had heen out all night. Had relieving stretcher pai'ties been available . to mept thps.e coming out half way, they would have4 been more than welcome. However, no praise is too great for the officer' in charge, Sergeant

W. S. Hughes, of Otaki, and his other organisers, private residents, Palmerston Nortli hqspital staff, airways offieials and all who took part in the search. In addition to the wonderful hospitality shown by the jpnes family, the Otaki police praise thp .excellent work of Mrs. and Miss Horrobin in making medical supplies and food available and material for signalling the Auster aircraft. Members of -Saturday's recpyery party had all been warned- the previous evening to carry their ownprovisions, and the men had breakfast on the scene of the crash before commencing the arduous task of carrying out the bodies. Just how strenupus and difficult i this work proved to be, the Press representatives wlio accompanied the party should be able to say quite confidently and truthfully for they shouldered their responsibilities and assisted to the full in tiie recovery operations. -